A Alabama Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Alabama.

A clear, practical guide for families ready to bring learning home - written for the way Alabama actually does it. One enrollment form, filed once. No state-mandated subjects or testing. A $2,000-per-student CHOOSE Act ESA. Everything you need to begin with confidence, in plain language and without the noise.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from wondering if you can to your first morning of lessons.

№ 01
01

Choose your covering.

Alabama has no homeschool statute - instead, the compulsory attendance law (Ala. Code § 16-28-1 et seq.) gives you three legal routes. Most families enroll in a church school that runs home programs; since Act 2014-245 clarified the law, operating as a home-based private school is a solid second route; a state-certified private tutor is the third.

What to decide
The three pathways:
  • Church school home program (most common)
  • Home-based private school
  • Instruction by an Alabama-certified private tutor
02

File the enrollment form.

Once your child is enrolled in a church school, file the enrollment form with your local public school superintendent - the district provides the form, and you file it once, not annually (Ala. Code § 16-28-7). If your child is currently in public school, file first, then formally withdraw.

The form includes
  • Each child's name, sex, date of birth & residence
  • Name of the church school
  • Parent / guardian signature
  • Church school administrator's signature
03

Build your course of study.

Alabama mandates no subjects, no curriculum approval, and no minimum days for church and private school students - your school sets its own program. Most church school home programs expect a sensible core of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, then leave the methods entirely to you.

Useful starting points
  • Your church school's home program handbook
  • Alabama Course of Study standards (for benchmarks)
  • Local co-ops, support groups & library programs
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
04

Keep an attendance register.

The one ongoing legal record is a daily attendance register (Ala. Code § 16-28-8) - most church schools have parents keep it and report attendance to the school. Add whatever your school's home program asks for, and keep your own file of sample work and course lists as your child gets older.

Keep on file
  • Daily attendance register
  • Copy of the filed enrollment form
  • Grade reports or portfolios your school requires
  • Course lists & transcripts for high school
05

Look ahead: diploma, sports, and funding.

Your church or private school issues the diploma and transcript - no GED needed for Alabama's state colleges. AHSAA policy lets home-educated students play for the public school in their zone. And the CHOOSE Act now puts $2,000 per year per home-educated student (capped at $4,000 per family) into a ClassWallet ESA.

Worth planning early
  • CHOOSE Act application windows (apply via ClassWallet)
  • AHSAA registration with your local school board
  • High school transcripts through your umbrella school
  • Income cap (300% FPL) lifts for all families in 2027-28
The Law · Alabama

Three legal coverings - pick the one that fits

№ 02

Alabama has no standalone homeschool statute. Home education operates under the compulsory attendance law, Ala. Code § 16-28-1 et seq., through church school enrollment, a home-based private school (a route clarified by Act 2014-245), or a state-certified private tutor. The church school 'covering' is the classic Alabama model - and all three routes leave curriculum, calendar, and testing entirely up to the school and the family.

Option 01

Church School Home Program

Best for families who want Alabama's classic covering - an umbrella school of record, light paperwork, and a community behind the records.

  • Enroll in a church school that operates home programs
  • File the enrollment form once with your superintendent
  • School sets calendar & expectations - no state subjects or testing
  • School issues report cards, transcripts & the diploma
  • Governed by Ala. Code §§ 16-28-1, 16-28-3 & 16-28-7
Option 02

Home-Based Private School

Best for families who want to run their own school of record without a church school covering.

  • Operate as a private school in your home - no certified teacher required since Act 2014-245
  • Report enrollment to the local superintendent on state forms
  • Keep a daily attendance register (Ala. Code § 16-28-8)
  • You set the calendar, curriculum & graduation requirements
  • Governed by Ala. Code §§ 16-28-1 & 16-28-7
Option 03

Certified Private Tutor

Best for families where the teaching parent (or a hired tutor) holds a current Alabama teaching certificate.

  • Tutor must hold an Alabama teaching certificate
  • Teach the subjects required in public schools, in English
  • At least 3 hours a day, 140 days a year, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • File a statement of subjects & schedule with the superintendent
  • Governed by Ala. Code § 16-28-5
Requirements · Curriculum

What Alabama expects you to teach - and what it leaves to you.

№ 03

Here is the honest answer: for church school and home-based private school students, Alabama mandates no subjects at all - your school sets its own course of study. (Only certified tutors must cover the public school subjects, per Ala. Code § 16-28-5.) The core below is what most Alabama church schools and umbrella programs expect, and it is a sound backbone for any home program.

01

Reading + Language Arts

Phonics, fluency, comprehension, and literature across genres and grade levels.

02

Writing

Composition, grammar, mechanics, and writing across the curriculum.

03

Mathematics

Numeracy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and applied math reasoning.

04

Science

Inquiry, observation, life sciences, physical sciences, earth & space.

05

Social Studies

History, geography, government, and Alabama's own story in context.

1
Form, filed once

The church school enrollment form goes to your local superintendent at initial enrollment - no annual renewal (Ala. Code § 16-28-7).

3
Legal pathways

Church school home program, home-based private school, or an Alabama-certified private tutor.

140
Tutor-option days

Only the certified-tutor route has a state calendar: 3 hours a day for 140 days a year. Church and private schools set their own.

$2,000
CHOOSE Act ESA

Per home-educated student per year, capped at $4,000 per family - spent on curriculum and education expenses through ClassWallet.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Straight answers for Alabama families

№ 04
No. Church school and home-based private school students may be taught by their parents with no degree, license, or certification - and those two routes cover nearly every homeschooling family in Alabama. Only the third option, the private tutor route under Ala. Code 16-28-5, requires a current Alabama teaching certificate.
No, a church school is not your only option - but it is the classic one. Since Act 2014-245 clarified Alabama's private school definition, families can also operate a home-based private school without certified teachers, reporting enrollment to the local superintendent. Many families still choose a church school covering for the record-keeping support, transcripts, and community that come with it.
Yes. Alabama has no filing deadline or waiting period - enroll your child in a church school (or establish your private school), file the enrollment form with the local superintendent, and then formally withdraw from the public school. Do it in that order and keep dated copies, so there is never a gap in your child's enrollment status.
No. The enrollment form you file under Ala. Code 16-28-7 is a record, not an application. The superintendent's office receives it for attendance purposes; the district cannot deny it, review your curriculum, or add requirements. Non-public schools in Alabama are not licensed or regulated by the state.
Not many. The legal record is a daily attendance register (Ala. Code 16-28-8), which most church schools have parents keep and report. Beyond that, keep a copy of your filed enrollment form and whatever your school's home program requires. For high schoolers, maintain course lists and a transcript - your umbrella school typically issues the official version from your records.
Yes. AHSAA policy recognizes home-based students who are educated in compliance with Alabama law - through a church school home program, a private school home program, or a certified tutor - and allows them to participate at the public school in their attendance zone. You will need to register with your local school board and meet the same AHSAA eligibility rules as enrolled students, so contact the athletic director early.
The school of record does. If you are in a church school home program, the church school issues the diploma and transcript based on the work you document; if you operate your own private school, you issue them. Either way, Alabama law no longer requires non-public school graduates to take the GED to enroll in state colleges.
Yes. The CHOOSE Act (Act 2024-21) created education savings accounts that include home-educated students: $2,000 per student per year, capped at $4,000 per family, spent on qualifying expenses through ClassWallet. Through the 2026-27 school year, eligibility is capped at 300% of the federal poverty level; starting in 2027-28 the income cap disappears. Watch the application window - it opens in early winter for the following school year.
Resources · Alabama

Where Alabama families get their bearings

№ 05
Official - State

Alabama State Department of Education

ALSDE's homeschool page lays out the church school, private school, and private tutor requirements straight from the source.

Visit ALSDE
Community - Statewide

Homeschool Alabama (formerly CHEF of Alabama)

Alabama's statewide homeschool organization since 1988 - law guides, an annual convention, support groups, and church school connections.

Visit Homeschool Alabama
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Alabama's three options, plus member-only legal advocacy if you ever face questions about your covering.

Read the Law
The Alabama Getting Started Kit

Everything from this guide, ready to use.

The Alabama Getting Started Kit turns the law into paperwork you can actually file - five polished, print-ready documents built around Alabama's church school model, so your first year starts organized instead of overwhelming.

  • Church School Enrollment Form companion - a fill-in worksheet with every element Ala. Code § 16-28-7 requires, ready to transfer onto your district's form, plus a withdrawal letter template.
  • Alabama Compliance Checklist - all three pathways (church school, private school, certified tutor) as checkable items, including the tutor route's 140-day / 3-hour rule.
  • Attendance Register - a daily log matched to Ala. Code § 16-28-8 and the reporting most church school home programs expect.
  • Weekly Planning Template - built around the five-subject core Alabama umbrella schools look for, with room for co-ops and field trips.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - choosing a covering, filing, withdrawing, and applying for the $2,000 CHOOSE Act ESA, day by day.
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Arrowstead Academy

Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the Alabama State Department of Education and your local school district, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Alabama law as of 2026.

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