How do I withdraw from a school? Withdrawal information can be found HERE.
Do I have to notify anyone when I have moved into the state that I plan to homeschool? No, we do not register in Missouri.
Do I need certain qualifications in order to teach my children? No, there are no parent qualifications to homeschool in Missouri.
What if my child has never been enrolled into the public school for kindergarten? You will not have to notify anyone or keep records/hours in our homeschool law until age 7.
What do I do if my child has an IEP? The IEP information can be found HERE.
Do special needs therapies or classes count towards our required hours? Yes, most will count under either Language Arts (speech, reading, etc.) OR life skills (physical therapy, etc.).
Who do I send my records to? No one. IF there is an educational neglect charge against you, the only person allowed to have access to your records is the local prosecuting attorney.
What are the basics of the Missouri homeschool law? See our Checklist for getting started.
Can we count attendance or days instead of hours? No, our homeschool law is specific to 1000 hours of instruction for the year. We do not go by attendance. Instead, we can set our own schedule.
Can a lesson be counted as an hour? No, our homeschool law is specific to time as a measurement, not lessons. We need 1000 60-minute units to meet our requirement. A 20 minute lesson is 20 minutes.
Are my children required to take a standardized test each year? No. However, we are required to have an evaluation at least once per year for each homeschooled child. That can be a standardized test IF you choose Or there are several other options. See our Checklist for the details.
What are the requirements for high school? We do not have any graduation requirements for high school; however, until the 16th birthday, you are still required to follow all the requirements in our homeschool law.
How do I get a transcript and diploma for my high schooler? As a parent, you will create them for your teen. FHE members have access to a fillable transcript. HSLDA has a transcript service and a diploma that can be purchased in their store. OR Google templates for transcripts and diplomas.
How do I find curriculum? There are a lot of curriculum options for religious and secular based families. Think through which you need for your family. And think about what type of curriculum you want: books, online, or a combination. Take a look at our Curriculum List. Research the vendors for curriculum. Don’t forget about your local library and Pinterest (internet). Also, places like Rainbow Resources have a large stock of curriculum choices.
Do we have to use a curriculum? No, you can use whatever resources you feel work best for you children.
Is it expensive to purchase curriculum? It does not have to be. Many of our homeschoolers teach their children with free or very minimal cost resources. Homeschooling does not have to be expensive.
How do I find local groups, co-ops and learning centers? Go to our Find Your Region section of the website, look up your county, then click on that region for a link to groups in your area.
How do I start a new co-op? Starting a co-op is not too hard. Gather interested families, find a location to meet, decide on a meeting day/time. Do you want this to be academic or extracurricular or a combination? If the group is relatively small, you may not need insurance. However, many churches will want to know that you do have insurance coverage in order to use their building. Some groups meet a parks or homes. Just depends on the size and nature of what you want to do. Round up families and have a meeting to get organized. Once you have those things in place, decide on classes. Generally, with co-ops, parents decide on classes they are interested in teaching and offer them to the group. Fees are generally small, but you may need a fee for insurance, rental of the space, and supplies/books.
