Minnesota’s compulsory instruction law requires all children ages 7-17 to attend a public or nonpublic (private) school. Homeschools are considered a type of nonpublic school under Minnesota law. Because compulsory instruction and school attendance is mandatory, you must register the homeschool.
Parents who home school must notify the student's resident school district superintendent:
- By October 1 of the first year the child is home schooled after reaching the age of 7;
- Within 15 days of withdrawing a child from public school to home school or to enroll the child in any nonpublic school that is not accredited by a state-recognized accrediting agency (List of State Recognized Accrediting Agencies);
- Within 15 days of moving out of a resident district; and
- By October 1, after a new resident district is established
Instruction must be provided in at least the following subject areas:
- basic communication skills including reading and writing, literature and fine arts;
- mathematics and science;
- social studies including history, geography, economics, government and citizenship; and
- health and physical education.
Homeschool parents/guardians do everything that traditional private school administrators and teachers do but in the context of their home. This means planning what students learn, keeping all current and future records, managing costs, and assuring the quality and scope of their student's education for college recruiters and employers. Students graduate from homeschools with homeschool diplomas and homeschool transcripts, just as they would from other private schools. Neither the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) nor local school districts validate or certify this homeschool education, transcripts, or diploma - and do not do so for regular private schools.
For more information, please visit the Minnesota Department of Education website.
