I read with interest the Mid-Prairie school board report. The contention that homeschoolers cost the district $535,000 begs an explanation.

When a parent homeschools or sends their children to a private school, it should save the school district money. I know it doesn’t save the parents any money, it fact it costs a lot in time commitment and tuition or materials.

Of the 133 homeschoolers (in the Mid-Prairie school district), there may be some that “never were in the system,” but a good number were in the system and left.

“Current Thoughts and Trends” stated recently that “Homeschooling, once thought to be practiced only be fundamentalists who feared exposing their children, has now become a mainstream option. Approximately 1.5 million children are now being homeschooled, up 500 percent from 1990. Research shows that many parents are pulling their children away from traditional schools for more than religious reasons, including academic and safety concerns.”

If Mid-Prairie is losing customers, maybe they need to improve the product. Don’t blame the customer.

Landon Beachy