Appellants reside within the Martensdale-St. Mary Community School District. They are the parents of two daughters. Their oldest daughter, Caroline, was entering kindergarten and after reviewing their various educational options, Appellantsdecided to homeschool Caroline. They chose to open enroll to the Des Moines CPI program. Their application was timely filed and recommended for approval. However, the District Board voted to deny the application on May 13, 1996, because the Board felt the District's program of homeschooling could sufficiently serve Caroline.

The State Board hesitates to speculate why the District Board thought it could deny Appellants' application. The parents' testimony revealed the importance to them of the network of homeschooling families that exist in Des Moines. Perhaps the Board's denial of Appellants' application was due to a lack of understanding of the importance of the factors the parents listed; rather than a disregard for the operation of the law.

There was no legal reason for the Board to deny the Appellants and the Board's denial of their request must be reversed.

That the decision of the Martensdale-St. Marys Community School District's Board of Directors made on May 13, 1996, denying Appellants' timely-filed open enrollment request for Caroline Schoonover was reversed.