Homeschooling in Kentucky: what the state requires
A homeschool operates as a bona fide private school: notify the local superintendent of enrolled children each year, teach in English the subjects taught in public schools for the public-school term, and keep attendance and scholarship records.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Kentucky sources. State page: Kentucky Department of Education — Homeschool Information Packet. Compulsory school age: 6 to 18. KRS 159.010 sets a base of 6 to 16 and requires 6 to 18 statewide once 55% of districts adopt it; KDE states children ages 6-18 must be enrolled (a child who is six by August 1 must be enrolled)..
Home school as a private, parochial or church school (KRS 159.030(1)(b), 158.080, 159.040, 159.160)
A homeschool operates as a bona fide private school: notify the local superintendent of enrolled children each year, teach in English the subjects taught in public schools for the public-school term, and keep attendance and scholarship records.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Within two (2) weeks of the beginning of each school year (KRS 159.160); KDE packet (rev. 2021) says within ten days of the beginning of the school year — The school's principal/teacher reports the names, ages and residence of all pupils to the local superintendent of schools (KRS 159.160). KDE: letter to the local board with each child's name, age and residence; the school must have a designated name. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, mathematics, science, civics — KRS 158.080: instruction in English 'in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools of the state'; subject list is from the KDE homeschool packet. |
| Days | 170 days — KRS 158.080 (eff. June 27, 2025): operate on a school calendar with a minimum school term and student instructional year as defined in KRS 158.070 — instructional year of at least 1,062 hours on not less than 170 student attendance days (school term of 185 days includes non-instructional days). |
| Hours | 1,062 hours on at least 170 days. — 1,062 hours of instructional time (KRS 158.070). |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. KDE: no state testing required. |
| Records | Required. Attendance register (on forms provided by the Kentucky Board of Education) and scholarship (progress) reports made in the same manner as public schools (KRS 159.040); KDE: at the same intervals as local public schools. School is open to inspection by directors of pupil personnel and Department of Education officials. KDE recommends keeping a portfolio. |
| Teacher | No parent qualification stated in the statutes or KDE packet. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
KDE: homeschools issue their own diplomas, which KDE does not recognize.
Official sources:
- KRS 159.030 Exemptions from compulsory attendance
- KRS 158.080 Private and parochial schools (eff. 6/27/2025)
- KRS 158.070 School calendar and instructional time
- KRS 159.040 Attendance at private and parochial schools
- KRS 159.160 Attendance reports to superintendent
- KDE Homeschool Information Packet (rev. July 2021)
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: The newer KDE homeschool packet (May 2026) returned 404; the 2021 packet was used. KDE's 'ten days' notice deadline differs from KRS 159.160's 'two weeks'. Whether the 170-day/1,062-hour definition is how KDE now applies KRS 158.080 to homeschools was not confirmed.
High school: the public-school diploma as a guide
Optional for homeschools in most states, but the credit plan most colleges and employers recognize, and a sound default for a homeschool transcript. Shown in the subject areas this site uses.
| English English/Language Arts 4 | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.0 |
| Social Studies Social Studies 3; Financial Literacy 1 | 4.0 |
| Fine Arts Visual and Performing Arts 1 | 1.0 |
| Physical Education & Health Health 0.5; Physical Education 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Electives | 5.0 |
| Total | 22.0 |
|---|
704 KAR 3:305 (effective 7-6-2026). Each core area is foundational + personalized credits; math includes Algebra I and Geometry; science includes lab-based experiences. One-credit financial literacy for students entering grade 9 on or after July 1, 2025 (counted here within the 22). Also: civics requirement under KRS 158.141, technology competency, and a performance-based project, portfolio or capstone.
Source: 704 KAR 3:305 Minimum requirements for high school graduation
After graduation: what to plan for
Suggestions from Homeschool Corral, not state rules. Most families keep the college path open through 10th grade, then narrow.
- 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II, pre-calculus if they can), 3–4 science with 2 labs, 3–4 social studies, 2–3 years of one foreign language, 1 fine arts
- A one-paragraph description for every high-school course; the parent signs the transcript and diploma
- PSAT in 10th and 11th; SAT or ACT by spring of 11th; dual credit, AP or CLEP where it fits
- A log of activities, service and work from 9th grade; two adults who can recommend them
- A Scholarship Finder profile by 11th grade; FAFSA when it opens in the fall of 12th
- A diploma and transcript with 4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies; applied math every year
- Dual-credit career and technical courses in 11th–12th; OSHA 10 and first aid/CPR; a driver’s license
- Real projects and a part-time job logged as credits, with references; visit the union hall about pre-apprenticeships in 11th
- A parent-issued diploma and full transcript, signed and dated; recruiters ask for both
- Strong reading and arithmetic for the entrance test; a practice ASVAB in 11th
- Physical fitness as a logged course; service and leadership; for an academy or ROTC, the college list plus the SAT/ACT early
- The diploma and transcript anyway; personal finance and business basics as credits
- Work experience logged with hours and a reference from 10th grade; typing, spreadsheets, a clear email
- Keep the college path open: a foreign language and Algebra II cost little now
My Homeschool turns these into a checklist for each child, with the credits recorded in Transcripts counted against the plan.
2025 HB 241 (Acts ch. 94) changed public school calendars/virtual programs only; no homeschool changes.
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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