As a result of COVID-19, homeschooling is on the rise. For some, this is a short-term arrangement, and others have discovered that homeschooling is perfect for their family. In case you don’t know, homeschooling is simply the practice of educating your kids from home. Some families choose to collaborate through homeschooling cooperatives and extracurricular leagues to enrich the home school experience.

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. When exploring the homeschooling route, please be aware that the laws and policies that govern homeschooling differ by state. If you wonder if homeschooling is a good fit for your family, you probably have questions about how to begin the process and what resources are available. Because of this, we created a series entitled, How to Start Homeschooling. In each installment, we will discuss homeschooling rules and resources for each state. In today’s installment, we will discuss homeschooling in Montana.

What you need to know:

• Montana Homeschool Law requires you to inform your county superintendent each year that you homeschool.
• If you need to remove your kid, contact your kid’s school to see if they have a withdrawal method.
• There are no particular requirements for homeschool teachers.
• Homeschool learners must be taught for a minimum of 360 hours for kindergarten, 720 hours for grades 1-3, and 1,080 hours for grades 4-12.
• Homeschool learners are required to learn the basic academic subjects taught in Montana schools.
• The state of Montana requires that you keep records of your kid’s attendance and immunizations.
• Montana homeschool learners do not have to let their kids participate in standardized testing.
• If you re-enroll your kid in a public school, contact your local school to find their placement guidelines as they each have their process.

Resources

You may also want to check out the Home School Legal Defense Association – Montana and the Montana Coalition of Home Education.