A Maine Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Maine.

Maine asks more paperwork of homeschoolers than most New England neighbors - but every piece of it is knowable, and none of it requires anyone's permission. One 10-day notice to two offices. Ten required subjects across 175 days. An assessment filed every year by September 1. Here is the full rhythm of a legal Maine homeschool year.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from deciding at the woodstove to a fully filed first year.

№ 01
01

Learn the shape of Maine's law.

Home instruction is one of Maine's recognized forms of equivalent instruction under 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A(3)(A)(4). The pattern is simple once you see it: a one-time notice when you start, then an annual continuation letter with assessment results every September 1. Nothing is approved or denied - you file, you teach, you assess, you file again.

The annual rhythm
  • Year one: notice within 10 days of starting
  • Every year: teach 175+ days, 10 subjects
  • Each spring/summer: complete one assessment
  • By Sept 1: continuation letter + results
02

File your notice of intent - to both offices.

Within 10 calendar days of beginning home instruction, send a written notice simultaneously to your local superintendent and to the Maine DOE commissioner. This is a one-time filing (repeat it only if you move to a new school unit). The Maine DOE publishes an optional form, but a letter containing the statutory elements works.

Your notice must include
  • Parent name, signature & address
  • Student's name and age
  • Date instruction will begin
  • Assurance of 175+ days per year
  • Assurance of an annual assessment
03

Plan the ten subjects across your year.

Maine's list is longer than most states' but still entirely yours to teach your way: English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health, library skills, and fine arts every year - plus Maine studies in one grade between 6 and 12, and computer proficiency in one grade between 7 and 12.

Planning notes
  • Eight subjects recur each year
  • Maine studies: once, any grade 6-12
  • Computer proficiency: once, any grade 7-12
  • No curriculum approval - methods are yours
04

Teach at least 175 days and keep your trail.

Maine asks for 175 days of instruction per year with no hourly minimum - nature walks, library mornings, and kitchen science all count when they carry the learning. Keep copies of every filing plus the year's work samples; the paper trail is light, but it is the whole compliance story.

Keep on file
  • Copies of your notice & continuation letters
  • A simple day count toward 175
  • Work samples by subject
  • Each year's assessment results
05

Assess each year, then file by September 1.

Every year, your child's academic progress must be assessed in one of five accepted ways - and only one of them is a standardized test. By September 1, send a continuation letter stating your intent to keep homeschooling, with the assessment results enclosed, to the same two offices as your original notice.

Five accepted assessments
  • Standardized achievement test
  • Locally developed, pre-agreed test
  • Review by a certified Maine teacher
  • Portfolio review via a support group with a certified teacher
  • Local advisory board review
The Law · Maine

One clear route, with five ways to prove progress

№ 02

Home instruction is expressly recognized in Maine's compulsory attendance law, 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A(3)(A)(4), as equivalent instruction. The statute trades a notice-and-report rhythm for full parental control: file a one-time notice of intent within 10 days of starting, then an annual continuation letter with assessment results by September 1 - no approvals, no curriculum review, no home visits.

Option 01

Home Instruction Under 5001-A

Best for every Maine homeschooling family - it is the single legal route, with real flexibility built into its assessment menu.

  • One-time notice to the superintendent & commissioner within 10 days
  • Teach 10 required subjects across 175+ days a year
  • Assess annually - choose any of 5 accepted forms
  • Continuation letter + results filed by September 1 each year
  • Governed by 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A(3)(A)(4)
Requirements · Curriculum

The ten subjects on Maine's list.

№ 03

Maine names ten subject areas but stays out of your methods entirely - no curriculum approval, no textbook list. Eight recur every year; Maine studies appears once in grades 6-12, and computer proficiency once in grades 7-12.

01

English & Language Arts

Reading, writing, grammar, and literature across grade levels.

02

Mathematics

Numeracy through algebra and geometry, matched to your child's pace.

03

Science

Inquiry and observation across life, physical, and earth sciences.

04

Social Studies

History, geography, civics, and current events in context.

05

Physical Education

Movement, fitness, and outdoor life - Maine's backyard counts.

06

Health Education

Nutrition, safety, and the habits of a healthy life.

07

Library Skills

Research, sources, and finding your way through information.

08

Fine Arts

Music, visual art, and creative expression woven through the week.

09

Maine Studies

The state's history, government, and geography - in one grade, 6-12.

10

Computer Proficiency

Practical computer use and digital skills - in one grade, 7-12.

10
Days to file notice

Send your one-time notice of intent to the local superintendent and the Maine DOE commissioner within 10 calendar days of starting.

175
Days of instruction

Required each year, with no hourly minimum - you set the calendar and the daily shape.

Sept 1
Annual filing deadline

Each subsequent year, file a continuation letter with the year's assessment results enclosed.

5
Assessment options

Standardized test, pre-agreed local test, certified-teacher review, support-group portfolio review, or advisory board review.

Questions · Answered Honestly

What Maine parents want to know first

№ 04
No. Maine requires no license, degree, or qualification of homeschooling parents under the home instruction statute. Certified teachers appear in the law only as one of your assessment options - someone who can review your child's progress - never as a requirement for who does the teaching.
Yes. Maine's clock runs from when you begin, not from the school calendar: withdraw your child in writing, start teaching, and file your notice of intent with the superintendent and the commissioner within 10 calendar days of beginning. Your 175-day count runs from your own start date.
No. Maine's notice of intent is a filing, not an application - neither the school unit nor the DOE approves or denies a program that contains the statutory elements. The trade-off is the annual rhythm: a continuation letter with assessment results filed every year by September 1. File it on time and the oversight conversation never starts.
Any one of five things: a standardized achievement test; a test developed and agreed to in advance with local school officials; a progress review by a currently certified Maine teacher; a portfolio review through a homeschool support group that includes a certified Maine teacher or administrator; or a review by a local advisory board. Most Maine families use a certified-teacher review or a portfolio route - only one option involves a standardized test.
The required trail is your filings: copies of the notice of intent, every continuation letter, and each year's assessment results. Beyond that, a simple day count toward 175 and a folder of work samples per subject will cover you - the work samples also feed the portfolio assessment option if you choose it.
Yes. Maine has one of the country's clearer equal-access laws: under 20-A M.R.S. § 5021, home instruction students may participate in cocurricular and extracurricular activities - including interscholastic sports - at the local public school. Apply in writing and get the principal's written approval, which may not be unreasonably withheld; varsity athletes also meet the usual Maine Principals' Association eligibility standards.
You do. Maine does not issue a state diploma for home instruction students - parents set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript. Your years of filed assessments make an unusually well-documented backing file for college admissions.
Not currently. Maine has no education savings account or homeschool funding program as of 2026 - town tuitioning dollars follow students to approved schools, not to home instruction. The upside of unfunded independence is that no funding strings reach into your curriculum. Check current legislation, as policy can change.
Resources · Maine

Where Maine families put down roots

№ 05
Official - State

Maine Department of Education

The DOE's home instruction pages - the statute's requirements, optional notice forms, and the September 1 filing details, straight from the commissioner's office.

Visit Maine DOE
Community - Statewide

Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME)

Maine's statewide homeschool organization - law guidance, record-keeping help, an annual convention, and support contacts in every county.

Visit HOME
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Maine's filing and assessment rules, plus member legal help if a filing or records question ever escalates.

Read the Law
The Maine Getting Started Kit

Every filing, drafted before you need it.

The Maine Getting Started Kit turns 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A into paperwork that practically files itself - five polished, print-ready documents tuned to Maine's two-office, September 1 rhythm.

  • Maine Notice of Intent template - every element 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A(3)(A)(4) requires, formatted to send simultaneously to your superintendent and the commissioner within the 10-day window.
  • Continuation Letter + assessment cover sheet - the September 1 annual filing pre-drafted, with a checklist of the five accepted assessment forms.
  • Maine Compliance Checklist - the 10-day notice, 175-day count, ten subjects, and annual deadline as checkable items across the whole year.
  • Weekly Planning Template - built around Maine's ten subjects, with placement guides for Maine studies (grades 6-12) and computer proficiency (grades 7-12).
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day plan from withdrawal letter to filed notice to your first full week of teaching.
Instant Digital Download
$29
One-time purchase · Yours forever
Get the Maine Kit
Secure checkout · Instant delivery by email
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 Maine Department of Education and your school administrative unit, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Maine law as of 2026.

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