Start homeschooling · Kansas

How to start homeschooling in Kansas

Everything Kansas asks of a homeschool family, in order, from the state’s own sources, checked October 1, 2026. Each step links to a free tool that does it, and there’s a checklist to print at the end.

Legal options1
NoticeRequired
Days or hoursSet by the state
TestingNot required
RecordsNot required

Step by step

  1. Know what Kansas requires

    A homeschool operates as a nonaccredited private school: register its name and address with the State Board of Education, use a competent instructor, and teach for a period substantially equivalent to public school.

    Required school ages in Kansas: 7 to under 18 (K.S.A. 72-3120); 16- and 17-year-olds may be exempted in limited cases (e.g., written parental consent with counseling). Teacher qualification for this option: 'Competent instructor'; state teacher licensure not required.

  2. If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing

    Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Kansas also asks for a notice under this option (the next step); file it by its deadline.

    Write the withdrawal letter

  3. File your notice

    Required.

    What it includes: The school's official custodian registers the school's name and address (and records custodian) with the Kansas State Board of Education (online or mail-in). Registration is free and does not mean the school is 'approved.'

    Kansas names its own form, affidavit or filing for this. Use that where it’s required; our letter can go with it as a cover letter or a record.

    Write the notice of intent

  4. Plan your school year: days and hours

    Kansas sets a minimum.

    Statute: 'a period of time which is substantially equivalent to the period of time public school is maintained.' KSDE: at least 186 days of not less than 6 hours per day, or 1,116 hours per year for grades 1–11. KSDE’s statement of the public-school equivalent for grades 1–11; the statute itself gives no number.

    Check your days and hoursMake a school calendar

  5. Cover the required subjects

    Kansas doesn’t list required subjects for this option.

    No required subjects stated in statute or KSDE materials; schools acquire their own materials.

    Find curriculum with lesson counts

  6. Testing or evaluation

    Not required under this option.

  7. Keep records anyway

    Kansas doesn’t require records under this option.

    No statutory record-keeping duty found; KSDE recommends keeping accurate and complete progress records. The state board provides the school's registration to a receiving school on transfer.

    Our suggestion: keep attendance, a reading log and a few work samples each year. A move to another state, a college, or a question from the district is much easier with them.

    Printable logs

  8. Start teaching

    Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.

    Start a free plan in My HomeschoolAll free tools

  9. High school and graduation

    KSDE: private schools issue their own diplomas; 'These diplomas are not recognized by the State of Kansas.'

    Keep a transcriptGPA calculatorSample transcript

Official sources for this option

Not confirmed on an official page: The 186-day / 1116-hour figure is KSDE's interpretation of 'substantially equivalent'; not stated in K.S.A. 72-3120. Immunization rules for homeschools not checked. Check these points with the state or your local school district before you rely on them; everything else above comes from the official sources listed.

Your Kansas checklist

Tick as you go, or print it. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.

Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in Kansas · homeschoolcorral.com

  • Read Kansas’s rules for “Nonaccredited private school”
  • Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
  • File the notice
  • Set the first and last day, school days and breaks (meeting the state minimum)
  • Choose curriculum for each required subject
  • Start a simple attendance log and reading log
  • Make a first-week plan and start

Questions Kansas parents ask

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Kansas?

Yes. What to file: The school's official custodian registers the school's name and address (and records custodian) with the Kansas State Board of Education (online or mail-in). Registration is free and does not mean the school is 'approved.'

How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in Kansas?

Statute: 'a period of time which is substantially equivalent to the period of time public school is maintained.' KSDE: at least 186 days of not less than 6 hours per day, or 1,116 hours per year for grades 1–11. KSDE’s statement of the public-school equivalent for grades 1–11; the statute itself gives no number.

Do homeschoolers have to take tests in Kansas?

No testing requirement found. An accredited school receiving a transfer may test the student and need not accept credits.

Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Kansas?

'Competent instructor'; state teacher licensure not required.

What subjects are required in Kansas?

Kansas doesn’t list required subjects.

What records do I need to keep in Kansas?

Kansas doesn’t require records. Keeping attendance, a reading log and work samples is still wise.

Keep going

Kansas homeschool rules in fullEvery option, by grade, with the state’s sources Moving to or from Kansas?See what changes, side by side Kansas scholarshipsFor homeschool students, with deadlines Plan your year, freeMy Homeschool, free while we’re in beta; an invite code is needed to create an account

This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.

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