2 boys pulled from Lake County, Illinois, schools in separate child abuse cases raise questions about oversight

New questions are being raised about oversight following two separate child abuse cases in Lake County.

The children in both incidents were removed from school before their abuse was discovered.

When a child is expelled from school, the Illinois State Board of Education is notified, but not necessarily when a child is pulled out by their parents. It raises questions about whether additional oversight should be put in place, but past legislative attempts have been met with significant pushback. 

A Fox Lake couple was arrested and charged Friday with physically abusing the woman's 11-year-old son for years before he was able to make a daring escape for help.

That case comes just one month after Markell Pierce's mother and boyfriend were charged in the Round Lake Beach 8-year-old's murder. Police said he showed signs of long-term abuse and malnourishment.

In both cases, investigators said the boys were removed from school by their parents after questions of abuse were raised.

"Here's the problem. Kids are disappearing," said Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart, whose office is prosecuting both cases. "These people are lying when they say that they are about to engage in homeschooling."

Rinehart said while homeschooling can be a great alternative to traditional schools, it also can be used to hide abuse.

"People can essentially take their kid out of school at any time. Well, in both of these cases, there were already reports of abuse when that, when that removal happened. That is incredibly alarming," he said. 

Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert said that's concerning to him because a large portion of child abuse hotline calls come from school teachers and staff.

"School officials are also a large source of outcry statements from children of abuse or neglect," he said. 

The Illinois State Board of Education said that, in addition to not being required to report withdrawals to DCFS, school districts also are not required to report every student who leaves school to be homeschooled.

A spokesperson told CBS News Chicago that reporting is only required "…if the district suspects that the homeschool student is not receiving a bona fide education." 

"Schools have no way of knowing if kids are getting a bona fide education at home," Golbert said.

But just last year, a bill that would have enhanced the reporting requirements for homeschool families in Illinois garnered more than 40,000 witness slips in opposition. Many parents argued that it infringed on their rights to educate their own kids and unfairly framed homeschool parents as more likely to abuse their children. 

"It is unfair to paint all homeschooling with a broad brush that it's about child abuse, because it's not. It's a very, very small percentage. But we do have to recognize that these kids do have fewer eyes and ears on them. In fact, they don't have one of the most important sets of eyes and ears from a child protection point of view," Golbert said.

Rinehart said he agrees there should be some sort of notification process to, for instance, the Illinois State Board of Education when a child is removed from school.

"I think that notification process can be something that honors this sacred right to educational choice. It can be a system that protects children, and we can put that notification time period next to, well, are there claims of abuse?" he said. 

CBS News Chicago reached out to the superintendents of Round Lake Community Unit School District #116 and Fox Lake Grade School District 114 for more details on when and why those kids were pulled out of school. 

Round Lake has yet to respond, and Fox Lake said they could not comment. 

Carrie Flanigan, the executive director of the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center, said in a statement people should feel empowered to report cases of suspected abuse.

"These cases stress the importance of sharing concerns about the well-being of children within our community. Reporting concerns and seeking guidance from your local Children's Advocacy Center is a resource for all community  members and should be utilized. Sharing what we see and trusting instincts can make a difference in the life of a child. Trust your intuition," she said. "We as a community have an obligation to protect our most vulnerable population. Reporting is not punitive. It is imperative to saving lives."

Flanigan said the advocacy center has medical professionals, mental health staff, and advocates who help teach how to report abuse and provide children with a trauma-informed, coordinated response. Anyone looking for information can call 847-377-3155 and ask to speak with a multi-disciplined team member.