How to Start Homeschooling in Minnesota (2026 Guide)

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps that carry you from deciding to a settled rhythm at home.

№ 01

01

Learn the shape of Minnesota's law.

Homeschools in Minnesota operate as nonaccredited nonpublic schools under Minn. Stat. §§ 120A.22 and 120A.24. The annual obligations are modest and predictable: one filing to your resident district superintendent, instruction across four subject areas, and one standardized test a year. Compulsory attendance runs ages 7 to 17.

Your annual rhythm

File the report or letter of intent by October 1
Teach the four required subject areas
Administer one nationally normed test
Keep your documentation at home

02

File your report with the superintendent.

Your first year, send a full report to your resident district superintendent by October 1 - or within 15 days of withdrawing a child mid-year. Every year after, a one-page Letter of Intent to Continue (plus any changes) is all that's due. MDE publishes both forms, and the district's role is administrative: receive the filing and agree with you on a test.

Your report must include

Each child's name, birth date & address
The name of each instructor
The standardized test you intend to use
An immunization statement (first report & grade 7)

03

Plan instruction across the four areas.

Minnesota requires instruction in four subject areas - communication skills (reading and writing) with literature and fine arts; mathematics and science; social studies including history, geography, economics, government, and citizenship; and health and physical education. Public-school standards don't apply to you, and no one approves your curriculum.

Useful starting points

MDE's home-school Q&A and forms page
MACHE's getting-started workshops and conference
Local co-ops, library programs & park-board PE
Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy

04

Set up records you can produce on request.

Unless your school is accredited, keep documentation showing the subjects taught and each child's progress: class schedules, copies of instructional materials, and a note on how you assess achievement (Minn. Stat. § 120A.24, subd. 2). Add each year's test results and filed paperwork. Nothing is mailed in - it just needs to exist.

Keep on file

Class schedules and materials lists
How you assess each child's achievement
Three years of standardized test results
Copies of every report and letter of intent

05

Schedule the annual test - on your terms.

Each child ages 7-17 takes a nationally norm-referenced achievement exam every year, using a test you and the superintendent agree on. The results are yours: they are not submitted to the district. If a child scores at or below the 30th percentile, your duty is to seek further evaluation for learning problems - not to report in. Accredited homeschools skip testing entirely.

Good to know

Common choices: Iowa (ITBS), Stanford, CAT, MAP
Test results stay in your records
At or below the 30th percentile: arrange further evaluation
Accreditation (e.g., HBEAA) waives the requirement

The Law · Minnesota

Two ways to run a Minnesota homeschool

№ 02

Homeschooling is expressly legal in Minnesota under Minn. Stat. §§ 120A.22 and 120A.24, which treat a homeschool as a nonpublic school run by the family. The law asks for an annual filing with your resident district superintendent, instruction in four subject areas, and a yearly standardized test whose results remain with you - and it qualifies any parent to teach, no degree or license required.

Option 01

Standard Homeschool

Best for families who want full control and don't mind one filing and one test a year - the route most Minnesota homeschoolers take.

Full report year one; one-page letter of intent by Oct 1 thereafter
Teach the four required subject areas your way
One nationally normed test per child per year - results stay with you
Keep schedules, materials & assessment notes available on request
Governed by Minn. Stat. §§ 120A.22 & 120A.24

Option 02

Accredited Homeschool

Best for families who'd rather work with an accrediting agency than administer annual tests, or who want outside accountability.

Accredit through a state-recognized agency such as HBEAA
Annual standardized testing requirement is waived
Detailed documentation requirement is also waived
Still file the October 1 report or letter of intent
Per Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, subd. 11 & § 120A.24, subd. 3

Requirements · Curriculum

Four areas the law names - and the room inside them.

№ 03

Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, subd. 9 requires instruction in four broad areas, which break out into the subjects below. Minnesota's public-school academic standards do not apply to homeschools - how deep you go, what curriculum you use, and how you schedule it are entirely your call.

01

Reading & Writing

Basic communication skills - phonics, fluency, comprehension, and composition.

02

Literature

Great works across eras and cultures, read closely and discussed well.

03

Fine Arts

Music, visual art, drama - making and appreciating the beautiful.

04

Mathematics

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

05

Science

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

06

Social Studies

History, geography, economics, government, and citizenship together.

07

Health

Nutrition, safety, and habits for a sound body and steady mind.

08

Physical Education

Movement, fitness, and play - park-board leagues and backyards count.

10/1

Annual deadline

The full report (year one) or letter of intent (every year after) is due to your resident district superintendent by October 1.

15

Days after withdrawal

Pulling a child from public school mid-year? Your report is due to the superintendent within 15 days.

4

Required subject areas

Communication skills with literature and fine arts; math and science; social studies; health and physical education.

1

Test per year

A nationally norm-referenced exam, agreed on with your superintendent - and the results stay with your family.

Questions · Answered Honestly

What Minnesota parents actually want to know

№ 04

Do I need a teaching license or degree to homeschool in Minnesota?

No. The statute lists five ways to qualify as an instructor, and the last one covers nearly everyone: being the parent of a child who is assessed annually under Minn. Stat. § 120A.22, subd. 11. In practice, any parent who files the annual report and administers the yearly test is fully qualified - no license, degree, or supervision required.

Can I withdraw my child from public school mid-year?

Yes. You may withdraw at any point in the year - just submit your report to the resident district superintendent within 15 days of the withdrawal. Put the withdrawal itself in writing to the school, keep dated copies of both documents, and begin teaching. There is no waiting period and no approval step.

Does the district approve my homeschool or my curriculum?

No. The superintendent's role is to receive your October 1 filing and to agree with you on which nationally normed test you'll use - nothing more. Minnesota's public-school academic standards do not apply to homeschools, no one reviews your curriculum, and home visits are not part of the law.

Do I have to send my child's test scores to the district?

No. The annual standardized test is required, but the results belong to you - they are not submitted to the district. Keep them with your records (at least three years' worth is wise). If a child scores at or below the 30th percentile on the total battery, your obligation is to obtain additional evaluation to check for learning problems - the district doesn't step in.

What records does Minnesota require me to keep?

Unless your homeschool is accredited, Minn. Stat. § 120A.24, subd. 2 requires documentation showing the subjects taught and each child's progress: class schedules, copies of instructional materials, and descriptions of how you assess achievement. Add annual test results and copies of each year's filing. Records stay home with you and need only be made available if the superintendent asks.

Can my homeschooled child play public school sports?

Yes. Minnesota law is unusually clear here: Minn. Stat. § 123B.49, subd. 4 requires your resident district to let homeschool students fully participate in extracurricular activities - sports, music, clubs - on the same basis as enrolled students. Your child must meet the same MSHSL and school eligibility rules (age, conduct, physical exams), so contact the activities director early.

Can I issue a homeschool diploma in Minnesota?

Yes. Parents set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript themselves. MDE does not certify or validate homeschool diplomas - which also means there's no state diploma to wait for. A parent-issued diploma with a clear transcript is routinely accepted by Minnesota colleges, employers, and the military, and homeschoolers are eligible for PSEO dual enrollment in high school.

Does Minnesota offer an ESA or homeschool funding?

Not currently - there is no ESA or voucher program. But Minnesota quietly offers more help than most states: homeschool families can request nonpublic pupil aid for textbooks and standardized testing through their district, and qualifying expenses may count toward the state's K-12 education subtraction or credit at tax time. Check current legislation, as programs change.

Resources · Minnesota

The Minnesota shelf - start with these three

№ 05

Official - State

Minnesota Department of Education

MDE's homeschool page - the official forms (initial report, letter of intent), the home-school Q&A, and accreditation details.

Visit MDE

Community - Statewide

Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators (MACHE)

Minnesota's largest homeschool organization - annual conference, law guidance, support groups, and new-homeschooler mentoring.

Visit MACHE

Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Minnesota law, plus member legal help with reports, testing questions, or district pushback.

Read the Law

The Minnesota Getting Started Kit

Everything from this guide, ready to use.

The Minnesota Getting Started Kit turns the law into paperwork you can actually file - five polished, print-ready documents built specifically for Minnesota's requirements, so your first year starts organized instead of overwhelming.

Minnesota Initial Report & Letter of Intent templates - pre-formatted with every element Minn. Stat. § 120A.24 requires, ready for your superintendent by October 1 (or within 15 days of a mid-year withdrawal).
Minnesota Compliance Checklist - every legal requirement as a checkable item: the October 1 filing, the four subject areas, the immunization statement, and the annual test.
Recordkeeping Log - schedules, materials, and assessment notes organized to match § 120A.24, subd. 2, with a three-year test-results tracker.
Weekly Planning Template - built around the four required instruction areas, with room for co-ops, fine arts, and park-board PE.
First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day action plan from decision to your first week of teaching.

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