Statement of Faith

We believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God.

We believe that there is one living and true God; an infinite, intelligent Spirit, perfect in all His attributes, one in essence but eternally subsistent in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe in the fall of man, totally unable to justify himself before God.

We believe that Jesus Christ is the express image of the invisible God - He is God and He became man, yet without sin, was born of the Virgin Mary, crucified on the cross as a substitute for sin, arose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Jesus will return again personally and gloriously.

We believe that salvation is by God through grace, that man does not merit salvation in any way and that this salvation is eternal.

Homeschooling Requirements

Are there any host nation laws regarding school registration and enrollment?

Not if you are "sponsored" to be here. If so, the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) allows you to be excluded from the German educational requirements. It is recommended you use discernment when discussing with locals about your choice to homeschool as it may be a sensitive topic. Germany does not allow parents to homeschool their children. You may also see the HSLDA website to see their interpretation of Germany's laws for those not covered by SOFA.

Are there any DoD or local KMC homeschooling requirements?

Basically, no. There are no required courses, hours/day, days/year, or standardized testing. The Air Force does not even require that you declare your intention to homeschool. The Army, as part of their relocation package, requires members to declare how they intend to educate their children (DODDS, Private, German school, or homeschool). See the Army School Liaison Officer page for further information. It is DoDEA policy neither to encourage nor discourage DoD sponsors from home schooling their minor dependents. The current policy <http://www.eu.dodea.edu/ed/HomeSchool.htm> letter states "if a parent chooses to educate a child at home they must contact the School Liaison Officer at the nearest U.S. military installation to determine host nation laws regarding school registration and enrollment, and local home schooling requirements." We've contacted the School liaison officer for the Ramstein/Landstuhl schools, Dr. John Bohannon, about this relatively new statement. He said there is no requirement for homeschool parents to contact him. The intention was to provide a common channel for those interested in homeschooling to receive information from a locally informed source, most importantly relevant host nation laws.

Can my child take a class on base? Can they join the high school team? How about special services?

DODDS allows homeschoolers to take classes (i.e. calculus, chemistry) and participate in auxiliary services (i.e. football team, speech therapy). If you choose to participate in these classes or services, you will be required to register your child in the school, but you have full latitude in determining participation. Details can be found in Chapter 8 of this attachment <http://www.eu.dodea.edu/enrollment/docs/handbook_SY0708.pdf> .

Who should parents contact about attending part time or participating in auxiliary services?

Contact the local school that your child would attend. Often, they will refer you to the Schools Liaisons Officer. Here some School Liaison Officers that we know of for the 2008-2009 school year:

Ramstein/Landstuhl - Dr. John Bohannon, 06371479374.
Vogelweh, Kaiserslautern, Sembach - Rene Palmer or Richard (Rusty) Law. 06315366771.
Army - Lynn Rice, 063134064123

Website Legal Disclaimer:

The materials on the KMC CHE web site, KMC CHE resources, any posts, or communications in any form are for informational purposes only. This material is not intended to be, and does not constitute the giving of legal advice. For information about the laws and regulations in this area, please contact your own attorney.

Join

Joining the KMC Home school group!

Our home school support group is primarily "managed" through a Yahoo Groups website. The Yahoo group will give you an insight into the various activities we organize and is a resource for asking home schooling questions. The website is filled with information about the various programs we support through our many volunteers. There are about 50 families in the KMC-CHE group with varing degrees of homeschooling experience.

To join the group go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kmc-christian . Click the "Join This Group!" button. An automated message will be emailed to you detailing the requirements of our group and then give you the opportunity to reply positively by completing the questionnaire at the bottom of the application. Once you've submitted this questionnaire and paid your dues, you will be approved for the Yahoo group email loop and be a member of the KMC-CHE.

There are a few requirements to joining the KMC-CHE group. They are:

1. Our family lives within one hour driving distance of the KMC or is in the process of relocating within six months.
2. Our family currently home schools our child/children or intends to begin within the next six months.
3. Our family agrees to the KMC-CHE Statement of Faith.
4. Payment of annual Dues of $25 (per family per academic year)

Important Note:

This group is formed to support families who are legally educating their children at home (those covered by the Status of Forces Agreement). There is no legal protection provided by associating with or joing this group. See the Local Requirements page for information relavent to families assigned to Germany and covered by SOFA. You may also see the HSLDA website to see their interpretation of Germany's laws for those not covered by SOFA.