Board approves first reading of Cumberland home-instruction policy after public objections to birth-certificate requirement

The Cumberland School Committee approved the first reading of a comprehensive Cumberland Home Instruction Policy (I8) on June 25, 2026 after a contentious discussion about a proposed proof-of-age requirement.

Miss Goldstein, introducing the item, described I8 as a policy that “puts into policy much of what is already happening for families who opt for home instruction,” including eligibility, approval conditions, monitoring, withdrawal and appeal procedures. The reading passed the committee’s first step on a 5–2 vote (negative votes: Mr. Dean and Mr. Bacon).

During public comment, Jen Curry, who identified herself as state coordinator for the Rhode Island Guild of Home Teachers and a Cumberland resident, urged the committee to remove the draft policy’s requirement that homeschool families produce a birth certificate for approval. Curry said the committee lacked legal authority to add prerequisites to state homeschool law and called the specific requirement “a clear legal overreach that lacks any basis in state law.” She said Rhode Island guidance for kindergarten admissions — which references birth certificates for entry to public school — does not oblige homeschool families to produce a birth certificate and recommended allowing a parental declaration of age or the child’s birth month and year instead.

Board members pressed staff and the superintendent about how the policy would be implemented. Miss Smith sought clarification on whether the birth-certificate check would be required every year; Dr. Thornton said the intent was to verify age (for students new to the district) and not to retain a copy, describing the requirement as a one-time verification or as a check of a form that would not be kept. The board also noted RIDE guidance on age verification was available and might be referenced in final policy language.

The discussion emphasized alternatives acceptable as “legal equivalents,” with one board member noting a passport could be used. The committee and staff repeatedly framed the proposed approach as a verification step rather than an annual documentation burden. Several members acknowledged the need to respect parents with religious or privacy objections while ensuring statutory attendance ages are met.

By the end of the hearing the committee completed the first reading of the I8 policy and will return for a second reading before adoption. The vote on first reading (5–2) moves the policy forward but leaves open whether the wording about birth-certificate proof will be revised before final approval.