No Answers On Abused Teen's Absence From School

In 2007, a teenager finishing up classes at Powell Middle School was withdrawn from public school.

His adopted mother, Tai-Ling Gigliotti, told the school district she was going to be home schooling him, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Two years later, the 16-year-old boy escaped from his home on Whitmarsh Street covered in bruises and nursing a broken arm. He told detectives last week that he had been locked in the bathroom since November 2007 every time Gigliotti and her live-in boyfriend left home.

Within days, Gigliotti, 50, and her boyfriend, Anton Angelo, 45, were arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment. But the question remains: Why didn't the school district notice his absence for two years?

Under state law, a parent who withdraws a child from classes to home school has to provide a letter of intent to the district within 30 days. The exception is for guardians who enroll their child under the umbrella of a private school. Then it's the school's responsibility to make sure the child isn't truant.

A home educator is required by Florida statutes to submit a yearly evaluation of the student's progress. That can be fulfilled through several options, ranging from a standardized test to a psychological evaluation.

For independent quality control purposes, a licensed teacher or psychologist is required to sign off on the evaluation.

That generally works well because "a certified teacher is not going to put her license on the line," said Gary Weaver, chairman of the Florida Parent Educator Association.

If the home educator doesn't submit the evaluation then the district has the right to suspend the home program. The student must then enroll in public school again or face becoming truant.

Another tool at the district's disposal is the right to inspect a home educator's portfolio within 15 days of written notice. That portfolio is a compilation of lesson plans and curriculum. However, the school district has no authority to enter a home and there are no requirements to inspect the portfolio.

Weaver said portfolio inspections are used "very seldom," especially as school districts struggle with budget cuts.

There is no official answer as to whether any of this happened in Gigliotti's case.

School Superintendent Wayne Alexander referred questions to Director of Student Services Jim Knight. Knight said Tuesday that state law prohibited him from commenting about a student's specific circumstances.