NH Democrats Push Background Checks for Parents Who Homeschool Their Own Children with EFAs

CONCORD, NH – A newly introduced bill by New Hampshire Democrats would require parents who homeschool their own children using Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) to pass a criminal background check before they can continue educating them at home.

House Bill 738-FN, spearheaded by Rep. David Luneau (D-Hopkinton), who sits on the Education Funding Committee, has drawn additional support from four Democratic State Senators. The bill mandates that any “employee or volunteer providing instruction in person to an EFA student” submit to a criminal history background check. Because homeschooling parents are the sole educators of their own children, this bill would force them to undergo a state background check just to teach their own kids at home if they use an EFA.

Supporters of the bill argue that it is a necessary safeguard. Sam Morrison, a resident of Bow, NH, defended the measure, saying, “This is common sense. Public schools require a background check, licensed daycares require a background check—it is a natural progression to not want convicted offenders having a position of any authority over our children.”

However, opponents see it as a direct attack on homeschooling and parental rights.

Denise Radzelovage of Londonderry, a mother of eight who has lived in New Hampshire for 34 years, questioned why homeschoolers were being singled out. “I oppose HB 738. Some of my children are homeschooled, and some have graduated from the public high school. Why will this legislation single out homeschooling parents? And why will the proposed bill not require parents of public school students, who receive a value of an education and diploma provided by public tax dollars, a criminal background check?”

Others argue that even families who do not use EFAs should be concerned. Trisha Haddad of Salem, NH, an independent homeschooler, expressed concern about potential overreach. “I am an independent homeschooler who does not receive any government assistance, and I oppose this bill. I personally chose this route for my family for the freedom to educate my son in a way he will thrive, without the threat of an unnecessary background check.”

New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account program allows families to use a portion of state per-pupil funding for private schooling, homeschooling, and other educational expenses. The program has been a target of Democratic lawmakers, many of whom have sought to restrict or repeal it entirely.

Public opposition to HB 738-FN has been strong, with online testimony running 3-to-1 against the bill. While the legislation has yet to receive a public hearing, the early response suggests that many Granite Staters see it as an unnecessary intrusion into homeschooling and parental rights.