Posted by Howard Richman on November 11 2005 at 08:44:28:
The Beaver County Times published an article today about the signing ceremony. Here´s an excerpt:
Gov. Ed Rendell signed the law Thursday, calling the issue one of fairness for home-schooling families who pay taxes to local schools. Some school districts have complained that the law is another unfunded requirement and could also bring about similar demands from families who send their children to private or parochial schools.HowardRendell called the opposition "disingenuous."
"It was very disingenuous for the local school districts to say this adds an additional financial burden to them because each of these home-school parents pay property taxes," he said. "And they use less taxpayer dollars because their children don´t go to class."
Rendell said extracurricular activities play an important role in socializing children and should therefore be open to all.
Rendell also said home-schoolers will need to compete for extracurricular spots like any other child.
"It doesn´t mean some home-school student can play in the band if they play off key," he said.
The legislation was eight years in the making, having failed repeatedly in the Legislature until this year. The Senate´s president pro tempore, Republican Robert Jubelirer, said the trouble has been a habitually slow legislative process and a bias against home-schoolers.
"It was hard to overcome that bias," said Jubelirer, who led the home-schoolers´ charge in past years.
This year, Westmoreland County Republican Sen. Robert Regola was the prime sponsor.