As a result of COVID-19, homeschooling is on the rise. For some, this is a short-term arrangement, and others have discovered that homeschooling is perfect for their family. In case you don’t know, homeschooling is simply the practice of educating your kids from home. Some families choose to collaborate through homeschooling cooperatives and extracurricular leagues to enrich the home school experience.

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. When exploring the homeschooling route, please be aware that the laws and policies that govern homeschooling differ by state. If you wonder if homeschooling is a good fit for your family, you probably have questions about how to begin the process and what resources are available. Because of this, we created a series entitled, How to Start Homeschooling. In each installment, we will discuss homeschooling rules and resources for each state. In today’s installment, we will discuss homeschooling in Idaho.

What you need to know:

• Idaho does not require you to inform your school district if you decide to homeschool.
• If you need to remove your kid, you should contact your school to inform them and ask if they have an official withdrawal form.
• No particular requirements for homeschool teachers.
• No minimum hours per day that a homeschool kid must be taught.
• There are seven required subjects for homeschool learners: language arts and communication, mathematics, science, social studies, fine arts, health, and physical education.
• Idaho does not require that you keep particular records of your homeschooling.
• Homeschool learners do not have to let their kids participate in standardized testing.
• If you re-enroll your kid in a public school, districts will assess your kid for placement into the appropriate grade level. In Idaho, districts are not mandated to accept the homeschool work that you completed.

Resources

Idaho may have funding assistance available if you go through a charter homeschool program.

You can also check out Homeschool Idaho, the Idaho Department of Education’s Homeschooling page, Home School Legal Defense Association – Idaho, and the North Idaho Home Educator’s Association.