Homeschooling Regulations by State: Montana

by Christina Yeager

Homeschooling is certainly an optimal option for parents seeking excellent education while working on their child’s character development. It is often adopted by families whose children’s true goals are way ahead of benefiting from a standard education in a public school. There are many examples of athletes, entrepreneurs, and celebrities who were homeschooled and still perused their goals.

Are you looking forward to homeschooling your children in Montana? That’s great! Learn about the homeschooling regulations set by the State of Montana.
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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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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.

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Compulsory School Age	Students beginning at age 7 years or older should be enrolled within the first day of the school year. It is compulsory to attend either until his/her 16th birthday or work completion of the 8th grade. In simple terms, the State of Montana requires every child to attend school from age 7 to 16 years.
Homeschooling Choices	Unlike most states, Montana has only a few homeschooling regulations. Education is the sole discretion of parents. The legal schooling options available in State Montana are as follows: Supervised home study Public school Nonpublic school Homeschool
Formally Withdrawing From Public School	At times, parents decide to instruct their children at home after enrolling them into a local school. In such cases, it is recommended to formally withdraw the child. You can also choose to start homeschooling after the end of the current academic year, before the next. If so, make sure to withdraw your child’s admission before the beginning of the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1st. You can do this easily by sending a written letter to your local school principal. Be sure to include your child's’ name, address, date of birth, grade and the starting date of intended home instruction.
Necessary Paperwork	Parents or guardians must submit a letter of intent each year to the county superintendent of schools. The letter of intent complies that you choose to homeschool your child. In this case, you will be provided with a form by the county superintendent to fill in and send back to the specified address.
Other Important Things To Consider	Curriculum The Montana Homeschool Law recommends teaching the basic educational subjects to the homeschooled children. You can consult the principal/headmaster of the nearest public school to help you understand the curriculum. Required subjects are: English Language Arts Mathematics Social Studies Science Health Arts Career Education Instruction Every homeschooled child must complete the following instructional hours each year: Kindergarten: 360 Hours Grades 1-3: 720 Hours Grades 4-12: 1080 Hours Testing When it comes to testing, homeschooled children aren’t required to participate in yearly testing or assessments. However, make sure to keep a record of your child’s progress i.e. quizzes, assessments, or projects conducted at home. Immunizations Students in Montana are required to either submit a waiver or receive vaccinations each year – including the homeschooled ones. Maintain the immunization records. The county superintendent can ask for these records if necessary.​

Visit the Montana Office of Instruction online to learn more about homeschooling and read more detail about curriculum standards.

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Are you a homeschooler (new or veteran) seeking to share insight? Read our guidelines and thenreach 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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