Lowered regulations can prove to be more flexible for parents planning to homeschool their kids. Here’s a curated list of the best states for homeschooling.
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Utah
Alaska
There are no requirements for parents to notify the district if they’re teaching their own kids. There are four options for homeschooling: parental homeschooling, private tutor (Alaska-certified teacher credentials needed), homeschooling with school board approval (written request needed), and through registration as a denominational private school (portfolio records required for this option, including immunization).
Idaho
No qualifications needed. Notification is not required. Parents are not required to get district approval or have their children take tests. Parents are also not legally required to provide their homeschool program information to districts. School is required for ages 7-16. No immunization records needed.
Illinois
Parents don’t need to register their homeschool or notify the district. Homeschools are considered private schools in this state. The language of instruction is English only with a list of required subjects. There are no immunization or assessment requirements. No teacher qualifications needed. School is required for ages 6-17 years of age.
Indiana
Parents don’t need to notify school districts of intent to homeschool. Instruction provided should be similar to public schools. Homeschools are considered non-accredited private schools, so they need to comply with private school legislation. Parents don’t need any certification. There are no state-mandated subjects required for homeschoolers to teach, but students are required to be in homeschool for at least 180 days per year and aligned with public school district schedules. Maintain documentation as needed (e.g. number of kids being homeschooled, subjects taught, etc.) for the appropriate administrators. Immunizations are not required.
Michigan
Required to teach specific subjects but the requirements vary widely. Parents don’t have to notify the district that they are homeschooling. The kids must take a required list of nine subjects from an organized educational program to comply. Anyone who is not the parent who is selected to teach the student must have teacher certification, however, parents who teach their own kids do not need certification of any kind. If a certified instructor who is not the parent is homeschooling the kids, the curriculum may be expanded to include more subjects like Michigan government/civics for high schoolers. Immunizations are not required.
Missouri
Must provide at least 1000 hours of instruction. No more than four students can be unrelated for instruction. Missouri enrolls students ages 7-16 years old. Homeschools are considered private or denominational and must not charge or receive tuition, fees and other remuneration. Immunization not needed.
New Jersey
Must provide students with equivalent of public school education. Teacher certification is not needed. New Jersey outlines required subjects that need to be taught for a minimum number of years. There is an occasional demand for a letter of intent though this isn’t required by law. Keeping documentation is important. No immunization required.
Oklahoma
There are no testing or district notification requirements for parents doing homeschool. Kids must be schooled for 180 days under the parents own guidelines. Oklahoma courts have recommended that homeschools model their subjects taught after public schools. School is compulsory from ages 5-18. Keeping documentation is still recommended as students may need them to apply for military, driver’s education courses, Social Security benefits, and college applications. Immunization is not required.
Texas
Schools are considered private schools in Texas, with no notification required. Homeschool parents must use written curriculum, which can include online programs. Follow the list of state-mandated subjects. There are no assessment or immunization requirements. Parents do not need to have teacher certification. Students planning to attend college need to have science and history as part of the curriculum as these two subjects are not required to be taught in Texas homeschools.
Utah
Notification through an affidavit is required for the district. There are two options for homeschooling. State mandated subjects, assessments, and immunization records are not required. Parents are responsible for the curriculum selected.