The Madison County Board has passed a resolution opposing Illinois House Bill 2827, warning that the proposed legislation would impose new regulatory requirements on homeschooling and private school families.
The board said the bill threatens parental rights and expands state oversight in ways it views as unnecessary and intrusive.
“House Bill 2827 (HB2827), introduced in the 104th Illinois General Assembly on February 6, 2025, risks imposing unprecedented regulatory burdens on homeschooling families and private schools, threatening the autonomy and privacy that have enabled these educational choices to thrive in Madison County and across the state,” the resolution reads.
The Board urged the Illinois General Assembly to abandon the bill entirely.
“The Madison County Board hereby opposes House Bill 2827 and urges the Illinois General Assembly to reject this legislation or any similar measures that impose overreaching regulatory requirements on homeschooling and private school families,” the resolution reads.
The bill has drawn intense backlash from parents and homeschool advocates across Illinois.
Initially focused on filing requirements, the bill was recently amended to grant truancy officers new authority to investigate families who fail to submit state notification forms.
The revised bill would also grant the Illinois State Board of Education broad rulemaking authority to oversee homeschooling—authority that opponents argue lacks guardrails and accountability.
“The Madison County Board recognizes the fundamental right and liberty of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children, a principle enshrined in the United States Constitution and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in cases such as Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925) and Troxel v. Granville (2000), and stands resolute in defending this right against any legislative overreach,” the Madison County Board’s resolution states.
The resolution also criticized the bill for proposing sweeping regulations without clear justification or evidence of systemic abuse.
“Imposing detailed reporting or oversight requirements on all homeschool and private school families, rather than targeting cases of abuse or neglect, represents bureaucratic overreach that lacks justification,” the resolution reads.
A particularly controversial provision of the amendment would allow truant officers to interview homeschooled children directly, a move that some advocates say violates Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.
Critics also warned that provisions of the bill could open the door to state review of homeschool curricula.
The Madison County Board made clear that while child safety must remain a priority, it should not come at the expense of parental rights or educational diversity.
“Any legislative efforts to ensure child safety should utilize these established structures, enhancing their enforcement where necessary, rather than creating new regulatory frameworks that penalize the majority for the actions of a few,” the resolution reads.
The resolution also cited overwhelming public opposition to HB2827.
“Many of our constituents have expressed strong opposition to HB2827, as evidenced by over 125,000 combined witness slips filed across Illinois against the bill as of April 10th, 2025,” the board noted.
The wave of resistance reflects what the board described as “widespread concern over the erosion of parental rights and local control.”
Will Estrada, senior counsel for the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, noted the Madison County Board’s actions in an email. “More county boards have now passed resolutions urging the rejection of H.B. 2827,” Will Estrada, senior counsel for the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, said in an email.
Estrada has called HB2827 “the most dangerous bill” his group has faced in its 42-year history, warning that it could have made Illinois one of the most restrictive states for homeschoolers.
“I am becoming more and more optimistic that HB 2827 is dead for the year,” Estrada told Prairie State Wire.
Although the bill missed a key procedural deadline on March 18, Estrada noted that it could still be revived due to legislative loopholes and the influence of its sponsor, State Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn).
The bill’s amended version expanded state oversight significantly, including truancy investigations and broad rulemaking authority for the Illinois State Board of Education.
Estrada emphasized that HSLDA remains vigilant, with teams monitoring developments in Springfield and ongoing outreach planned.
Over 42,000 witness slips were filed against the bill, and county boards like Madison County have passed resolutions opposing it.
Critics argue the bill was based on unfounded claims about abuse in homeschooling environments.
