A South Dakota Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in South Dakota.

A clear, practical guide for families ready to bring learning home - written for the way South Dakota actually does it. One form, filed once, ever. Two required subjects. Zero tests since 2021. Everything you need to begin with confidence, in plain language and without the noise.

The Path · Getting Started

From decision to done: five short steps under one of America's simplest laws.

№ 01
01

Understand 'alternative instruction' - the 2021 reset.

South Dakota's statutes call homeschooling alternative instruction, and since Senate Bill 177 took effect on July 1, 2021, the system is among the simplest anywhere: one notification per child, two required subjects, no testing, no renewals, no reports. If you read older guides mentioning notarized forms or grades 4/8/11 tests, that law is gone.

What SB 177 changed
  • Annual filings became one-time, per child
  • Standardized testing requirement repealed
  • Notarization requirement repealed
  • Full SDHSAA activities access added
02

File the DOE's standard notification form - once.

Download the standard form from the South Dakota Department of Education and file it with the DOE or your resident school district within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction. That single filing covers the child's entire education - you only file again after a transition, such as moving to a new district or re-enrolling in school and later returning home.

The form asks for
  • Child's full name and birth date
  • Resident school district
  • Open-enrolled district, if any
  • Parent or guardian's signature
03

Withdraw from school cleanly, if your child is enrolled.

Tell the school in writing that your child is moving to alternative instruction under SDCL § 13-27-3, note the date, and file your notification within the 30-day window. Because the deadline runs from when you begin - not weeks beforehand - you can make the switch whenever the time is right, including mid-year.

Make the switch clean
  • Written withdrawal note to the school, dated
  • Notification filed within 30 days of starting
  • Keep copies of both, permanently
  • Remember: re-enrolling later counts as a transition
04

Anchor language arts and math; build the rest freely.

The statute asks for instruction in the basic skills of language arts and mathematics, leading toward mastery of the English language, for an equivalent period of time as in the public schools. That's the whole academic mandate. Science, history, music, shop, ranch work, robotics - the remainder of the education is yours to design, and no one reviews it.

Useful starting points
  • South Dakota content standards (as benchmarks, not rules)
  • FAIRSD's getting-started resources
  • Local co-ops, 4-H & library programs
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
05

Keep a thin file - and decide about optional testing.

Nothing must be logged or reported, but keep the filed form, samples of work, and - by ninth grade - a running transcript; South Dakota's universities admit alternative-instruction graduates on parent-issued records. Testing is now entirely optional: order a nationally standardized test whenever it would genuinely tell you something, and the results are yours alone.

Keep on file
  • Filed notification + any confirmation
  • Sample work and course lists
  • Optional test results (yours to keep)
  • High school transcript from grade 9 on
The Law · South Dakota

One straight road - no forks, no tolls

№ 02

Homeschooling is legal statewide under SDCL § 13-27-3, which excuses a child from school attendance when provided alternative instruction in the basic skills of language arts and mathematics for an equivalent period of time as in the public schools. Senate Bill 177 (2021) made it a one-time-notification system with no testing and no renewals - a single pathway, and one of the lightest in the nation.

Option 01

Alternative Instruction under SDCL § 13-27-3

Best for every South Dakota family - one route, one form, and full freedom over curriculum, schedule, and methods.

  • One-time DOE notification, filed within 30 days of starting
  • Teach language arts & math; everything else is your call
  • No testing, no renewals, no reports since 2021
  • Up to 22 children per instructor; SDHSAA access included
  • Governed by SDCL § 13-27-3
Requirements · Curriculum

Two required subjects - and the wide-open rest.

№ 03

South Dakota names exactly two subjects: the basic skills of language arts and mathematics, taught toward mastery of the English language. The other cards below are what most families add by choice - shown honestly as options, because the statute requires nothing beyond the first two.

01

Language Arts (required)

Reading, writing, and the basic skills that lead to mastery of English.

02

Mathematics (required)

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

03

Science (your choice)

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

04

History & Civics (your choice)

American and world history, government, and life in a self-governing state.

05

Health & PE (your choice)

Movement, fitness, and the outdoor life South Dakota hands you for free.

06

Arts & Music (your choice)

Making and understanding music and visual art across the years.

1
Filing, per child

The notification is one-time - filed again only after a transition like moving districts or re-enrolling in school.

30
Days to file

Submit the DOE's standard form within 30 days of beginning alternative instruction - after you start, not before.

2
Required subjects

Language arts and mathematics, taught for an equivalent period of time as in the public schools.

0
Required tests

SB 177 repealed the grades 4/8/11 testing mandate in 2021. Testing is now entirely at the parent's discretion.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Plain answers for prairie pragmatists

№ 04
No. South Dakota sets no education requirement of any kind for parents providing alternative instruction - no diploma, degree, or certificate. The statute's only personnel rule points the other way: a single instructor may not teach more than 22 children, a cap aimed at unlicensed group schools rather than families.
Yes - any time of year. Notify the school in writing, begin teaching, and file the standard notification form within 30 days of starting. Because the clock runs from when you begin rather than requiring advance notice, there's no waiting period. Keep dated copies of the withdrawal note and the filed form and the transition is complete.
No - and this is the 2021 law's signature feature. One notification covers the child's entire education unless a transition occurs: moving to a different resident district, or enrolling in a public or nonpublic school and later returning to alternative instruction. Each of those triggers a fresh form within 30 days. Otherwise, you will never fill out homeschool paperwork again.
No. The notification is filed and recorded, not approved - neither the DOE nor the district reviews curriculum, visits homes, or requests reports. Since SB 177 removed testing and renewals in 2021, there is no recurring oversight mechanism at all. Your legal duties are the one-time form, the two required subjects, and instruction for an equivalent period of time as in the public schools.
Legally, just hold onto the filed notification form - it is your proof of compliance. Practically, keep a thin file of sample work and course lists, and build a transcript from ninth grade on: South Dakota's public universities admit alternative-instruction graduates on parent-issued transcripts and diplomas, and scholarship applications go smoother with clean records. Optional test scores, if you order any, are yours alone.
Yes - as a matter of state law since 2021. SDCL § 13-36-7 requires every public school district to allow children receiving alternative instruction to participate in athletics, fine arts, and activities in their resident district. Your child follows the same local training rules and SDHSAA transfer and non-academic eligibility rules as enrolled students. Contact the activities director before the season to handle physicals and paperwork.
Yes. Parents set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript - the state offers no alternative-instruction diploma and mandates no credit minimums. These parent-issued credentials are accepted by South Dakota's regental universities, technical colleges, employers, and the military; what carries the weight is a consistent, well-kept transcript.
Not currently. The 2025 legislature considered two education savings account bills - HB 1009 and HB 1020 - and both died in committee, with the state's own homeschool community split over whether funding was worth the strings. As of 2026 there is no ESA, voucher, or stipend, and alternative instruction remains both unfunded and essentially unregulated. Check current legislation; the debate returns most sessions.
Resources · South Dakota

Where South Dakota families team up

№ 05
Official - State

South Dakota Department of Education

The DOE's alternative instruction page - the standard notification form, filing instructions, and the law's actual text.

Visit SD DOE
Community - Statewide

FAIRSD

Families for Alternative Instruction Rights in South Dakota - the statewide homeschool organization behind the 2021 reforms, with legislative watch and getting-started help.

Visit FAIRSD
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of South Dakota law, plus member legal help with notifications, transitions, and records questions.

Read the Law
The South Dakota Getting Started Kit

One form, two subjects - and a strong start.

The South Dakota Getting Started Kit turns SDCL § 13-27-3 into a working system - five polished, print-ready documents matched to the one-time-notification law, so the freedom South Dakota gives you turns into an organized first year.

  • Notification Walkthrough + Withdrawal Letter - the DOE standard form explained field by field (name, birth date, resident district, signature), paired with a dated school-withdrawal letter for the 30-day window.
  • South Dakota Compliance Checklist - the short list, complete: one-time filing, language arts and math, equivalent instruction time, and the transition rules that trigger a re-file.
  • Recordkeeping Log - a light-touch file for the records worth keeping anyway: work samples, course lists, optional test scores, and transcript starters.
  • Weekly Planning Template - anchored on the two required subjects with open tracks for science, history, arts, and everything else you choose.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day action plan that has the form filed, the file started, and the first week taught before your deadline arrives.
Instant Digital Download
$29
One-time purchase · Yours forever
Get the South Dakota 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 South Dakota Department of Education and your school district, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect South Dakota law as of 2026.

© Copyright 2026 Arrowstead Academy. All rights reserved.