Homeschooling Regulations by State: Mississippi

by Christina Yeager

​No matter what state you live in, you should at least be aware of what the regulations are for homeschooling if that is something you may even potentially consider. I often times speak with people who are also close to borders and have the opportunity to decide which state their educational requirements need to be met in. For these reasons, among many others, it is also often times beneficial to know the regulations and requirements for homeschooling in other states.
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The regulations, laws and suggestions in this post may not reflect the needs for your particular situation. Not all apply to each individual family. To learn more about the laws and regulations in this state on homeschooling, click the link at the end of the post! This will direct you to the states’ Board of Education or government education site.

Each state is the U.S. has a very specific set of regulations for homeschooling. If you are thinking about teaching your child at home, you'll need to know the ins and outs of what needs to be done beforehand and during. In this series, Homeschooling Regulations by State, we'll explore information to help with the decision, what to do to get started and what to do correctly to continue.

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Compulsory school age
In the state of Mississippi, students between the ages of 6 and 17 are required to go to school and obtain an education. This is similar to other states and slightly different from others.

Formally withdrawing from public school
A student can be withdrawn from public school at any time in order to be homeschooled. The only requirement is that a Certificate of Enrollment is filed for each student by September 15 on a yearly basis for each year the student is being homeschooled.

Necessary paperwork
The Certificate of Enrollment requires personal information, such as name, date of birth, phone number, and address for both the student and the parent. It also requires a brief description of the type of education the student is receiving as well as a parent or guardian signature.

Curriculum
One major difference between Mississippi and other states is that there are no specific curriculum requirements that must be followed and it is up to the parent or guardian as to what they want to include on transcripts for the student.

Instruction, teaching and testing
It is also not required for homeschooled and non-public school student be in school for the full 180-day calendar year as it is for public school. There are also no teacher qualifications or standardized testing required.

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Overall, in Mississippi, the most important thing to note is the Certificate of Enrollment. This is essentially the only thing that is a requirement in this state concerning homeschooling regulations.
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Visit the Mississippi Department of Education for more information about homeschooling in your state!

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Are you a homeschooler (new or veteran) seeking to share insight? Read our guidelines and then reach out introducing yourself to obtain blogging credentials! And if you're a homeschool parent, be sure to follow the Homeschooling Heroes page on Facebook for tons of resources and insight, and join the Unschool Homeschool group to expand your horizons as to what homeschooling is/can be. And finally, if you're looking for activities to join, we have a group with New Orleans-based activities, which will be expanding to an area near you - so join our group! And be excited about that, because we offer tons of exceptional educational and extracurricular activities for homeschoolers and parents, and can't wait to include you.

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