Have you ever wondered where the BEST places to homeschool are? How about the worst places, or the places where homeschooling is barely even possible at all? I’ll be honest, my husband and I have talked about moving, and sometimes I forget how lucky we are to have the homeschooling community and freedom that we have where we live. As a homeschool family, or even a family who wants to have homeschooling as an option in case they decide to homeschool down the road, it’s REALLY important that you don’t move somewhere that isn’t a good place to homeschool.
So I’ve come up with a list of the places I would definitely move to and the places we could never live, just based on homeschooling. Just remember, this is not legal advice. If you want to read more on the specific laws for your state, you can check out hslda.org/legal. If you want legal advice, please consult with a lawyer who specializes in homeschool law.
Prefer the video version? Check it out below:
Best Place to Homeschool – Texas
Ok, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s start with the BEST places to homeschool.
First is Texas. In Texas, homeschools are considered private schools, so there are really not any specific laws regarding homeschooling, which makes it a great state to live in if you want to homeschool. Just make sure you are teaching the required subjects using some form of written curriculum – and online homeschooling programs are included.
And that’s it. You don’t need to notify the school board or have any interaction with them whatsoever, unless they contact you directly asking where your child is enrolled. If that happens, a simple letter assuring that your children are being legally taught at home is all you need. So there is a lot of freedom in Texas for homeschool families.
Iowa
Next on the list of best places to homeschool is Iowa. The homeschool laws in Iowa may seem complicated at first glance because there are several options to choose from, but I think it’s kind of cool that there’s more than one option here. If you choose option one, you basically have the same low regulation as a lot of other great states to homeschool, where the only real requirements are that you teach the required subjects.
But if you are willing to comply with additional requirements, you can get access to public school classes and extracurricular activities, which is kind of a nice option if you want to homeschool but still keep ties to the public school. So it’s nice that in Iowa you have these different options. I think it’s a really great state for homeschool families.
Best Place to Homeschool in the U.S. – Connecticut
The third best place to homeschool in the United States is Connecticut. Maybe it’s the best place if you really want freedom and zero ties to public school. To homeschool in Connecticut you need only to teach the required subjects, in any way you choose. You do not need to have any contact with the local school board whatsoever if you’ve never enrolled your child in school.
If your child is in school and you want to pull them out, a certified letter is all you need and then you never have to be in contact with the school again. Even if they ask you to submit a notice of intent or have a portfolio review, these are completely optional and NOT legally required. So it’s a great place to live if you’re looking for this kind of homeschooling freedom, especially if you’re leaning more towards unschooling.
New Jersey
New Jersey is very similar to CT as far as their laws for homeschool go. You do not have to notify the local school board or have any contact with them to let them know you’re planning to homeschool. You need only to provide an academically equivalent education to that which is provided in public school. But the manner by which you go about teaching is entirely up to you.
So it’s basically the same freedom as many other states, as long as you’re doing your best to make sure your children are learning the subjects that are taught in the public schools and making progress year over year. You don’t have to report anything, but it’s good to keep records in the unlikely event that you ever find yourself in court.
Best Place to Homeschool – MI
Another one of the best places to homeschool in the United States is Michigan. In Michigan, there are no requirements at all other than that you teach certain subjects such as reading, math, science and history. But just like the other states on the list, you can do that in any manner that you choose.
The only thing that makes Michigan law a little different is that the home instruction must be done by a parent. If you plan to have a non parent significantly involved in the home education, you may want to consult with a lawyer.
Illinois
Another great state to homeschool is Illinois. In Illinois you need to teach the required subjects, which are pretty much the same subjects that the other states require. How and when you teach these is entirely up to you. The only other requirement is that you much teach in English. You don’t need to notify the local school board about your plans to homeschool, and there are no portfolio review or testing requirements at all.
Best Place to Homeschool – Idaho
In Idaho, you don’t need to have any interaction with the local school board at all. Even if they ask you to provide information about your homeschool program, you are not legally required to provide that information. You can teach your children yourself, or select another instructor of your choice, which can be really anyone at all. Other than that, you just need to teach subjects that are usually taught in the public schools in Idaho.
Alaska
Another really awesome place to homeschool is Alaska. There are a few options to homeschool in Alaska, but if you choose option 1, there are literally no requirements. None at all. As long as you are the parent or legal guardian of the child you plan to homeschool, you can do this in any way you like with absolutely no interaction with the school board. You don’t need any special qualifications, there are no required subjects and no testing requirements.
Last of the Best States to Homeschool
Last on the list of the best places to homeschool is Oklahoma. This one could top the list as well, it’s really hard to decide. In Oklahoma there are no reporting or testing requirements. There isn’t even a list of required subjects. The only requirement they have is that you operate your homeschool for 180 days a year. But what counts as a school day is entirely up to you, so this requirement is pretty easy to fulfill.
Worst Places to Homeschool – Massachusetts
Ok, so we’ve covered the best places to homeschool your kids if you live in the United States. Now let’s talk about the worst places. These are the places that make homeschooling a lot more difficult.
The first is Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, the requirements vary from school district to school district. You must notify the school district where you live and get approval before you begin homeschooling. This applies whether your child has not yet been enrolled in public school or whether you intend to withdraw them. You can’t just pull them out of school and begin homeschooling without approval, or your child will be considered truant from school.
Once approved, you will likely need to file an annual notice to continue homeschooling. You will also need to comply with any additional requests from the superintendent.
Pennsylvania
If you want to homeschool in Pennsylvania, you need at least a high school diploma or GED. You will need to file yearly notices with the local superintendent which should include information such as an outline of educational objectives and immunization records.
You will need to teach 180 days a year and at least 900 hours for elementary school and 990 hours for 7th through 12th grade. They have a long list of required courses, and you must maintain a portfolio and have your child complete standardized testing. The portfolio must be evaluated annually by a qualified evaluator.
Worst States to Homeschool – NY
Another state that makes homeschooling difficult is NY. In NY, you must submit an annual notice of intent to homeschool by July 1st of each year, or within 14 days of establishing a new homeschool program. You must also submit a yearly home instruction plan, which should include information such as your curriculum materials, plan of instruction, and child’s information.
You must maintain attendance records and teach a required 180 days a year and 900 hours for grades 1 through 6, or 990 hours for grades 7 through 12. You must also file quarterly reports and complete annual assessments.
Washington State
In Washington State, you must meet certain teaching qualifications in order to homeschool your child. You must also file an annual notice of intent to homeschool. You will need to teach for 180 days or an average of 1000 hours per year and include the required subjects. You will also need to conduct annual assessments.
Rhode Island
Like in Massachusetts, if you want to homeschool in Rhode Island, you will need approval from the local school committee. You will need to teach the required subjects and maintain a record of attendance which you must make available to the school committee at the end of each school year.
You should teach the same number of days as the public school teaches, which is 180 days in Rhode Island. You will also need to comply with any additional requests from the school district.
Worst Places to Homeschool – South Carolina
To homeschool in South Carolina, you will need to get approval first from the district board of trustees. You must teach the required subjects and do so for at least 180 days a year. You also must teach for at least 4 and a half hours for each of those 180 days. You must maintain detailed records, submit a semi annual progress report and have your child complete annual testing.
Last of the Worst – North Dakota
In North Dakota, you will need to have a high school diploma or GED to homeschool, or be monitored by a North Dakota certified teacher. You must file a yearly statement of intent to homeschool with the school district, and teach for 175 days a year.
North Dakota has a long list of required subjects to teach, and you must maintain good records. You also must have your child complete standardized tests in in 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th grade.
What are the homeschool laws like where you live? Let me know in the comments!
