Common Questions
There are multiple places where you can find answers to common homeschool-related questions. One of the best resources is the MN Department of Education’s “Common Homeschool Questions and Answers” document. If you are looking for answers to the following questions, then this PDF is for you!!
- I am thinking of home-schooling my child. Where do I start?
- Are Minnesota students required to be in school?
- Are Amish communities completely exempt from the Compulsory Instruction statutes?
- What is the difference between homebound and home-schooling?
- What is the difference between public online learning and home-schooling in Minnesota?
- I have made the decision to home-school. Now what?
- When do I register my home school with my local district?
- How do I register my home school with my local district?
- My student is enrolled in a full-fledged private online learning school that keeps the transcript, grade assignments, and issues diplomas. Do I need to register as a homeschooler?
- Where can I find more information about Minnesota Immunization law, including forms?
- May step-parents or grandparents home-school their family members?
- What subjects are required to be taught in a home-school?
- What do I need to know about selecting and obtaining curriculum?
- What are the requirements for assessments?
- Where can I find a nationally norm-referenced standardized test?
- My student scored very low on the annual standardized test. What do I need to do?
- Are there exceptions to the annual nationally norm-referenced testing requirement?
- Can my home-school be accredited?
- Do testing exemptions exist for students with disabilities?
- What sort of documentation do I need to maintain?
- Can my home-school student graduate early?
- How are concerns about educational neglect, home-school testing violations, or other non-compliance with compulsory instruction and reporting handled?
- Can state aid provided to my child’s public school transfer directly to my home school?
- What are the costs associated with home-schooling?
- Is there financial support for home-school curricula, materials, textbooks and assessments?
- Are there any tax breaks for expenses related to home-schooling?
- Can my home-school student access services at a public school?
- Can my child participate in the extracurricular activities, including junior varsity and varsity athletics, of our resident school district?
- May home-school students have access to School Nutrition Program benefits?
- Can home-schools teach the classroom portion of driver’s education?
- Can my child with special needs receive special education services through my resident school district?
- Can shared-time provisions in state law help my student access academic courses?
- Can my public school student use the shared-time law to occasionally home school a class?
- Can my home-school student attend a school for religious instruction?
- Can my home-school student take college classes?
- May 14- and 15- year-old students work during school hours on school days?
- My student is in high school. Who prepares the transcript and diploma?
- Can my student who is graduating from home school walk with the public school class at graduation?
- Can MDE verify or certify a home-school diploma or transcript for employers, military or college admission’s offices?
- How can home-school students take college entrance tests?
- Are there concerns about the privacy of data I report on a home-schooling registration? Because of our situation, it is unsafe for our location to be known by some people.
- If my child most recently was a public school student in an open enrollment district or a charter school, does this change where I register or where my child has a right to participate in extracurricular activities?
If you have other questions, that are not answered here, please feel free to contact MHA at mha@homeschoolers.org.