NWFHC | The Northwest Florida 2008 Homeschool Convention

The Five State Laws

HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association)

Summary

Below is brief summary of the homeschooling law in Alabama. For a detailed analysis of homeschooling in Alabama, see:

Alabama—A Legal Analysis
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Compulsory School Age
"between the ages of 7 and 16"

Alabama Legal Home Schooling Options: 1 2
	Option: 1	Option: 2
Legal Option:	Establish and/or enroll in a church school	Use a private tutor
Attendance:	None specified (175 days required for the public schools)	140 days per calendar year, 3 hours per day between the hours of 8am and 4pm
Subjects:	None	Reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, English, geography, history of the United States, science, health, physical education, and Alabama history
Qualifications:	None	Teacher certification
Notice:	File a notice of enrollment and attendance with the local superintendent on a provided form (not required annually)	File a statement showing children to be instructed, the subjects taught and the period of instruction with the local superintendent
Recordkeeping:	Maintain a daily attendance register to be kept by the principal teacher of the church school	Maintain a register of the child's work showing daily attendance and make such reports as the State Board of Education may require
Testing:	None	None


Florida HOME \| LAWS \| ORGANIZATIONS \| CASES \| LEGISLATION \| HEADLINES

Summary

Below is brief summary of the homes schooling law in Florida. For a detailed analysis of home schooling in Florida, see:

Florida—A Legal Analysis
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Compulsory School Age
"attained the age of 6 years by February 1 . . . but have not attained the age of 16 years"

Florida Legal Home Schooling Options: 1 2
	Option: 1	Option: 2
Legal Option:	Establish and operate a home school	Qualify and operate as part of a private school corporation (a legally incorporated group of home school families)
Attendance:	None specified	180 days
Subjects:	None	None
Qualifications:	None	None
Notice:	File notice of intent with the local superintendent within 30 days of establishment for home school (not required annually)	None
Recordkeeping:	Maintain a portfolio of records and materials (log of texts and sample work sheets)	None
Testing:	Do one of the following annually: 1) take any standardized test or a state student assessment test which is administered by a certified teacher, 2) be evaluated by a certified teacher, 3) be evaluated by a licensed psychologist, or 4) an evaluation by another valid tool that is mutually agreed upon.	None

Summary

Below is brief summary of the homeschooling law in Georgia. For a detailed analysis of homeschooling in Georgia, see:

Georgia—A Legal Analysis
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Compulsory School Age
"between 6th and 16th birthdays"; a child under 7 who has attended public school for more than 20 days is also subject to the compulsory attendance law

Georgia Legal Home Schooling Options: 1
	Option: 1
Legal Option:	Establish and conduct a home study program
Attendance:	180 days per year, 4 1/2 hours per day
Subjects:	Reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science
Qualifications:	High school diploma or GED for a teaching parent; high school diploma or GED for any private tutor used
Notice:	File a declaration of intent with the local superintendent within 30 days of commencing the home study program and by September 1 annually thereafter
Recordkeeping:	Maintain attendance records and submit monthly to the superintendent; write and retain an annual progress report
Testing:	Administer and retain the results of a standardized test every 3 years beginning at the end of the 3rd grade

Summary

Below is brief summary of the homeschooling law in Louisiana. For a detailed analysis of homeschooling in Louisiana, see:

Louisiana—A Legal Analysis
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Compulsory School Age
from the child's "7th birthday until his 18th birthday"

Louisiana Legal Home Schooling Options: 1 2
	Option: 1	Option: 2
Legal Option:	Operate a home school as approved by the board of education	Operate a home school as a private school
Attendance:	180 days per year	180 days per year
Subjects:	At least equal to the quality of that in the public schools including the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers	At least equal to the quality of that in the public schools including the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers
Qualifications:	None	None
Notice:	File an application and a copy of the child's birth certificate, with board of education, within 15 days after start of home school. Renew annually thereafter	Submit notification to the state department of education within the first 30 days of the school year
Recordkeeping:	Whatever form(s) of documentation is(are) planned to satisfy the testing requirement	None
Testing:	Submit with renewal application documents showing satisfactory evidence that the program is at least equal to that offered by the public schools	None

Summary

Below is brief summary of the homeschooling law in Mississippi. For a detailed analysis of homeschooling in Mississippi, see:

Mississippi—A Legal Analysis
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Compulsory School Age
"age of 6 on or before September 1... and has not attained the age of 17 on or before September 1"

Mississippi Legal Home Schooling Options: 1
	Option: 1
Legal Option:	Establish and operate a home school
Attendance:	Whatever "number of days that each [home] school shall require for promotion from grade to grade"
Subjects:	None
Qualifications:	None
Notice:	File a "certificate of enrollment" by September 15 of each school year to the district's attendance officer
Recordkeeping:	None
Testing:	None

© 2008, HSLDA
NOTE: This summary is not intended to be, and does not constitute, the giving of legal advice. Many states have unclear compulsory attendance statutes, and the courts of those states vary in their interpretation of the statutes. Therefore, there is no guarantee any state will accept all of the options for compliance listed under each state. This summary is not intended to be a substitute for individual reliance on privately retained legal counsel such as that provided by Home School Legal Defense Association.