Institute for Justice challenges Pennsylvania hybrid school regulation

The Institute for Justice has launched a legal challenge against the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning on behalf of Roots Learning Academy. The academy is a hybrid program in the north Pittsburgh area that serves approximately 150 families by splitting time between home instruction and on-site academic or extracurricular courses.

Following a surprise inspection in March, state officials issued a cease and desist letter, asserting that the academy must become a certified childcare program to continue operating. Founder Katy Duckstein argues that such a classification would impose unnecessary mandates, such as specific training and background checks, that fundamentally alter the program's nature.

Attorneys for the Institute for Justice, including senior attorney Michael Bindas, contend that the state is attempting to force nontraditional educational models into outdated regulatory categories. They argue that hybrid programs are an extension of homeschooling practices, such as resource-sharing co-ops, rather than childcare services.