Rep. Lezlye Zupkus Opposes HB 5468, Raises Concerns Over Government Overreach into Homeschooling

HARTFORD — State Representative Lezlye Zupkus, Ranking Member of the Education Committee, voiced strong opposition Thursday to HB 5468, legislation she says targets homeschooling families under the guise of child safety while failing to address broader concerns.

“Let’s be clear about what’s going on here, this bill is not about protecting children. It is about expanding government control over homeschooling families because they are the group that is specifically targeted in this legislation,” said Rep. Zupkus.

HB 5468 establishes a new annual “intent to educate” requirement for families, effectively creating a statewide registry of how children are being educated. Rep. Zupkus warned that this represents a significant shift toward increased regulation of homeschooling.

Under the proposal, parents who withdraw their children from public school for homeschooling would be subject to a records check through the Department of Children and Families to determine whether any adult in the household is under investigation or listed on the state’s child abuse or neglect registry.

“This is a major step toward government oversight of parents who choose to educate their children at home. And it goes even further by singling out these families for additional scrutiny,” Rep. Zupkus said. “If the goal is truly to protect children, then why are these checks only applied to homeschooling families? There are still clear loopholes that allow a child to be withdrawn from school for other reasons without the same level of review, such as serious sickness, but those are not included.”

Rep. Zupkus emphasized that while child safety must remain a top priority, policies should be applied consistently and effectively across all situations.

She also raised concerns about the long-term implications of the legislation, noting that the registry requirement could serve as a foundation for further restrictions on homeschooling in the future.

“Parents have a fundamental right to direct their children’s education,” she said. “This bill moves us in the wrong direction by expanding government involvement without addressing the broader gaps it claims to fix,” she said. “We should be focused on policies that protect all children, not just creating new mandates for a specific group.”