Below is a summary of Minnesota Homeschool Laws to help you ensure your homeschool is compliant.
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Note: The information below is not to be considered legal advice. I’m a homeschool mom with an interest in helping you, not a lawyer. I strongly recommend that you contact your state education department if you have questions specific to your circumstances.
Homeschool
Minnesota has requirements to register your homeschool, required subjects for you to teach, and annual testing.
Can I Teach?
There is no requirement for you to meet in order to teach as long as your child does not test below the 30th percentile or one grade level below their current grade during annual assessments.
A valid instructor under Minnesota law can also be:
- A person holding a Minnesota teaching license for the grade level taught
- A person supervised by someone holding a Minnesota teaching license
- A person who successfully completed a teacher competency assessment
- A person providing instruction in an accredited school
- A person with a baccalaureate degree
Do I Have to Notify the State?
Yes. You must submit the Initial Registration Form for Unaccredited Nonpublic Schools including Home-Schools to your local school district by October 1 or within 15 days of withdrawing your child from public school.
Each following year, by October 1, you must submit a Letter of Intent to Continue to Provide Instruction to your district.
Your local district may have an online registration, so you may want to check with them first to see if one’s available.
Required Subjects
You must teach the following subjects, in the English language, in your homeschool:
- Reading
- Writing
- Literature
- Fine Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies (History, Geography, Government, Economics)
- Health and Physical Education
Annual Assessment
Your child must take an assessment each year between the ages of 7 and 17. Some examples are:
- Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
- Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED)
- Stanford Achievement Tests (SAT-10)
- California Achievement Test (Terra Nova)
- Peabody
Immunizations
When you provide your notifications to the school district, you must report your child’s immunization status or their exemption from the immunization requirements.
You can learn more about Minnesota’s immunization requirements with the Minnesota Department of Health.
How Many Days a Year do I Have to Teach?
There is no requirement for the number of school days or hours, however Minnesota’s public school year is 165 days.
I strongly recommend keeping attendance, just in case it’s needed in the future.
Compulsory Attendance Age
The compulsory attendance age is the age range in which your child must be attending school of some type.
In Minnesota, your child must be enrolled from the ages of 7 to 17, unless they graduate before that.
Public School Sports
The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) allows homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities in their local school district.
Contact your local school district for more information.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully this summary of Minnesota Homeschool Laws gets you started on your homeschool journey with your family!
If you’re just getting started, you’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed.
The Home Learning Kit can help!
It’s a package of handy learning tools to make your homeschool more fun and engaging, curated by yours truly. Check it out!
