How to start homeschooling in Montana

Step by step

1. Know what Montana requires

   Instruction by a parent of the parent's child, stepchild or ward in the parent's residence. Parents notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year, keep attendance records, meet the public-school minimum hours, and teach an organized course of study; the parent is solely responsible for curriculum, materials, schedule and evaluation.

   Required school ages in Montana: From age 7 (if 7 before the first day of school in the school fiscal year) until the later of the child's 16th birthday or completion of the work of the 8th grade. Teacher qualification for this option: No parent qualification requirement.

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. Montana 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.

   When: Each school fiscal year (no specific date in statute).

   What it includes: Notify the county superintendent of schools of the county where the home school is located of the child's attendance at the home school, each school fiscal year.

   Write the notice of intent

4. Plan your school year: days and hours

   Montana sets a minimum.

   Hours-based; no day count in statute. Minimum aggregate hours per MCA 20-1-301: 360 hours half-time kindergarten; 720 hours full-time kindergarten; 720 hours grades 1 through 3; 1,080 hours grades 4 through 12 (1,050 may be sufficient for graduating seniors).

   Check your days and hoursMake a school calendar

5. Cover the required subjects

   Montana doesn’t list required subjects for this option.

   Must provide an organized course of study that includes instruction in the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program under MCA 20-7-111, which delegates the program to the Board of Public Education's accreditation standards (ARM Title 10, Chapter 55). 20-7-111 also requires instruction about the United States constitution and the pledge of allegiance for public school pupils in grades 3 through 12.

   Find curriculum with lesson counts

6. Testing or evaluation

   Not required under this option.

7. Keep the records the state asks for

   Required.

   Maintain records on pupil attendance and make them available to the county superintendent on request. No retention period stated.

   Printable logsKeep them in My Homeschool

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

   No state graduation requirements for home schools in statute; parent issues any diploma.

   Keep a transcriptGPA calculatorSample transcript

Not confirmed on an official page: The specific program areas of the public-school basic instructional program (ARM Title 10, Chapter 55) could not be read. So no subject list is given. Diploma issuer not stated in statute. 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.