Homeschooling in Wisconsin: what the state requires
Parents provide at least 875 hours a year of sequentially progressive instruction in six subjects and file the online PI-1206 report with DPI each year by October 15.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Wisconsin sources. State page: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction — Home-Based Private Education Program (Homeschooling). Compulsory school age: 6 to 18 ("between the ages of 6 and 18 years").
Home-based private educational program (Wis. Stat. §§ 118.15(4), 118.165(1), 115.30(3))
Parents provide at least 875 hours a year of sequentially progressive instruction in six subjects and file the online PI-1206 report with DPI each year by October 15.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. On or before October 15 each year — Online PI-1206 homeschool report filed with the Department of Public Instruction every school year, on or before October 15 (may be filed from July 1). If withdrawing from a public or private school after October 15, file or update on or before the date the child stops attending. A program serving more than one family unit is not a home-based private educational program. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, health — "A sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction" in these subjects (§ 118.165(1)(d)). |
| Days | No days requirement; requirement is in hours. |
| Hours | 875 hours each school year. — "At least 875 hours of instruction each school year" (§ 118.165(1)(c)). |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. DPI: Wisconsin's homeschooling laws do not require any form of testing or assessment. |
| Records | No statutory record-keeping requirement. DPI retains PI-1206 records for seven years and advises parents to keep copies and records of instruction provided. |
| Teacher | DPI: no minimum educational requirements for parents; no teaching certificate or license required. |
| Other | Program's primary purpose must be to provide private or religious-based education, and it must not be operated to avoid or circumvent compulsory attendance (§ 118.165(1)). Part-time public school attendance is governed by § 118.53. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
DPI: a home-based program does not lead to a traditional Wisconsin high school diploma (diplomas are issued by public and private schools); parents may create a diploma upon completion of their program. GED/HSED is available.
Official sources:
- Wis. Stat. § 118.165 — Private school criteria
- Wis. Stat. § 118.15 — Compulsory school attendance
- DPI — Home-Based Private Education Program (Homeschooling)
- DPI — Home-Based Private Educational Program FAQ (Dec. 2020)
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Text of Wis. Stat. § 115.30(3) (PI-1206 report) could not be fetched from the legislature site; the October 15 deadline is from DPI's FAQ. Immunization requirements for home-based programs not verified.
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 | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Science | 3.0 |
| Social Studies Social studies (including state and local government) 3; Personal financial literacy 0.5 | 3.5 |
| Physical Education & Health Physical education 1.5; Health education 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Total | 15.5 |
|---|
Statutory minimum under Wis. Stat. § 118.33(1)(a). Health credit may be earned in grades 7–12. Personal financial literacy (2023 Wis. Act 60) first applies to pupils graduating in 2028; earlier classes need 15 credits. The State Superintendent encourages school boards to require an additional 8.5 credits from vocational education, foreign languages, fine arts and other courses, so district requirements may exceed this statutory minimum. Students must also pass a civics test (at least 65 of 100 questions).
Source: Wis. Stat. § 118.33 — High school graduation standards
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.
DPI personal financial literacy page: https://dpi.wi.gov/finance/2023-wi-act-60
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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