Foundation Releases New Public School Opt-Out Report

Today the Parental Rights Foundation is proud to release our latest report, Opting Out: A Summary of Parental Rights Laws Relating to Opting Children Out of Certain School Classes and Activities.

This report brings you a state-by-state summary of the laws governing when and how a child can be opted out of a public-school program or curriculum, including sexual education and other courses. Does your state require opt-outs or opt-ins? Is it limited to certain class material, or to any course the school offers? This report answers these questions and more.

Last month, the United States Supreme Court published its decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, regarding the opt-out rights of parents in Montgomery County, Maryland. And while that case may force corrections in local policies, it will not immediately affect the laws listed in this report. Any such changes in the law will take a vote of the legislature, or a ruling by the state’s courts applying the Mahmoud decision to the state’s laws.

This means that this report is up to date as it pertains to state laws, though some of those laws could possibly change over time if they are seen to violate parental opt-out rights as recognized by the Mahmoud decision.

I am grateful for the leadership and editorial oversight of my predecessor, William Estrada, and the legal interns he directed in preparing this report.

I hope you will find it useful for your own family, or to share with family and friends who may wonder what their rights are in directing their child’s education in their state’s schools.

Thank you, as always, for standing with us to protect children by empowering parents, and for helping to spread the word about this important new resource.