HOMESCHOOLING IN KANSAS & HOMESCHOOL LAWS
You may be considering homeschooling in Kansas, but don’t know where to start regarding Kansas homeschool laws. This guide will walk you through what you need to know to successfully set up your own program according to Kansas homeschool requirements. We’ll cover the history of homeschooling in Kansas, current laws and regulations, required notifications and filings, curriculum and testing choices, high school transcripts, extracurricular activities, graduation requirements, and special education services.
History of Homeschooling in Kansas
The history of homeschooling in Kansas reflects a broader national trend towards educational freedom and parental rights. While formal home-based schooling as we recognize it today began to gain traction in the 1970s, it wasn’t until the 1980s the state saw a significant increase in Kansas homeschooling families.
In Kansas, as in many other states, homeschooling families faced challenges in navigating Kansas homeschool laws. Initially, there was ambiguity regarding Kansas homeschooling laws, leading to confusion among both parents and educational authorities.
Over time, lawmakers took steps to clarify the Kansas homeschooling laws, providing more explicit guidelines. Legislative amendments and court rulings helped solidify rights, ensuring that parents could legally educate their children at home while meeting Kansas homeschool laws.
Today, home-based schooling is firmly established as a legitimate educational option in Kansas, with clear legal frameworks in place to support Kansas homeschoolers. The history of homeschooling in Kansas reflects a journey towards greater recognition of parental rights and educational diversity within the state’s educational system and homeschooling laws in Kansas.
Current Kansas Homeschool Laws and Regulations
In Kansas, homeschools are treated as non accredited private schools rather than accredited schools under homeschool laws in Kansas. Since the Kansas homeschool laws do not explicitly address home-based schooling, this has led to occasional confusion among public school officials. Nonetheless, homeschooling in Kansas is well-established among the state’s legal entities, including the Attorney General, the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, the legal staff of the Kansas State Board of Ed, and district courts.
These are the pertinent Kansas homeschool laws to understand when homeschooling in Kansas:
In 1996, the legislature revised K.S.A. 72-1111 homeschool laws Kansas compulsory school attendance.
Every parent or official custodian in Kansas, having control over a child aged seven to 18 years who has not obtained a high school diploma, must ensure continuous attendance during the school year. This attendance can be fulfilled by either (1) enrollment in a public school for the duration of the school term, or (2) enrollment in a private, denominational accredited school, or parochial school taught by a competent instructor, with instructional hours substantially equivalent to those of public schools in the district.
Additionally, K.S.A. 72-4346 mandates a one-time registration process for non accredited private schools.
The administrator of a private elementary or secondary school must register the school’s name and address with the state board.
How to Set Up a Homeschool In Kansas
To begin homeschooling in compliance with Kansas homeschool laws, parents first need to register their homes as non accredited private schools. This is done by completing the Department of Education’s “Non Accredited Private School Registration Form.” The form can be found here.
You do not need to register every year. If you need to change your school name or address only, use the “Update” option. Registering establishes your home as a bona fide non accredited private school in the eyes of the state, satisfying the compulsory attendance laws.
When students transfer to non accredited private schools, the school previously attended must be notified by the parent. If this step is not completed, the school is required by law to report the student as truant.
For other homeschool families moving from another state, they can immediately begin homeschooling upon arrival by completing the private school registration form. No waiting periods or other obstacles exist.
Importantly, Kansas does not require parents to have any teacher certification, just that they are competent instructors. As long as you register as a private school (non accredited school), you can legally homeschool students enrolled in your program as a competent instructor.
Maintaining Your Kansas Homeschool
Kansas homeschool laws have no requirements for paperwork, documentation, or state oversight of homeschool groups after the initial private school registration. Parents have complete autonomy to determine curriculum, schedules, teaching methods, graduation plans, and all other components of their home-based private school.
Kansas Homeschool Reporting Requirements
In line with the complete autonomy granted to homeschools, Kansas homeschool laws do not mandate any standardized testing or reporting of student progress to the state department or local districts. Parents are fully responsible for all aspects of their children’s home-based learning with no state oversight.
Homeschool Testing In Kansas
Kansas homeschool laws do not require annual testing for homeschoolers. However, the state does request that parents test their children periodically.
Parents can choose from a list of approved standardized tests, such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the California Achievement Test (CAT), or the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT).
Parents must maintain detailed records of the specific subjects studied, attendance records, and test scores or other evaluation results.
It’s important to note that these requirements are subject to change. Parents should consult the Kansas homeschool laws, Kansas Department of Education website or their local school district for the most up-to-date information.
Funding Your Kansas Homeschool
The Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP) aims to assist Kansas families and children in overcoming educational challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Approved by the State Finance Council based on recommendations from the SPARK Executive Committee, KEEP offers eligible parents of the sunflower state a $1,000 grant per child. This funding can be used for various educational products and services designed to support learning recovery and enhance academic opportunities. Recipients can access these approved educational resources through an online marketplace dedicated to the program.
Federal Tax Breaks
Homeschooling families may be eligible for certain federal tax benefits to help offset educational expenses. One option is a Coverdell Education Savings Account, which allows money to grow tax-free when used for qualified education costs. Parents might also be able to deduct a portion of mortgage interest or rent if part of the home is used regularly and exclusively for home-based schooling. Finally, tax credits or deductions could be available for required books, supplies, equipment and curricula used for home school lesson plans. To learn more about these potential tax advantages, homeschooling families should review the information and resources provided by the IRS.
Kansas Immunization Requirements
Kansas homeschool laws do provide some flexibility for families regarding immunization requirements. While standard school immunization schedules are in place for students attending public and accredited private schools, homeschooled students can claim exemptions from the standard vaccine requirements under Kansas homeschool laws.
Exemptions can be claimed for both medical reasons, as well as religious reasons. To claim an exemption, families must complete an official exemption form available through their local county health department or the state health department website.
Once properly filed, students can attend their home-based private school without the standard childhood immunizations provided the exemption is kept current.
Kansas State Graduation Requirements
Kansas has no defined minimum requirements for high school graduation that parents must include for their child’s education. Parents have complete control to set their own graduation standards, required courses, credit hours, and any other criteria they choose under Kansas homeschool laws. The state department has no oversight or involvement in home-based graduation plans.
The following is recommended for Non-Accredited Private Schools, which are Kansas Graduation Requirements:
4 units of English Language Arts
3 units of History and Government
3 units of Science
3 units of Mathematics
1 unit of Physical Education
1 unit of Fine Arts, and
6 units of Electives
Kansas Homeschool Charters
The sunflower state does not operate public home school charter schools, homeschool Kansas assistance programs, or district virtual school options to support homeschoolers. Homeschool families operate fully independently from public school systems.
The state department of education also does not require homeschool students of any age to participate in standardized testing or evaluations under Kansas homeschool laws. How a homeschool family measures and demonstrates their students’ progress is entirely up to them.
Local Kansas Homeschooling Resources
While Kansas has a decidedly hands-off, deregulated approach to home schooling with no state-sponsored programs or funding, there are still some useful resources and learning options homeschool families utilize.
The sunflower state has a robust network of local and regional secular and faith-based homeschool groups, co-ops, and homeschool associations. These Kansas homeschool groups provide activities, field trips, social connections, resources and more. Some of the larger organizations include:
Christian Home Educators Confederation of Kansas (CHECK): This Christian group is great for those who want to start homeschooling. They provide information about how to start your home private school, as well as support for other homeschoolers who need help.
CHASE Kansas: Statewide Christian support group with regional chapters.
TEACH Kansas: Topeka-area secular support group.
Lawrence Home school Association.
Salina Area Homeschoolers.
Wichita Catholic Home school Group.
These support networks can help new homeschool families learn how to homeschool in Kansas, find homeschool curriculum recommendations, participate in field trips, and meet other families to build a local homeschool community. While the sunflower state statutes keep homeschooling independent from the public school system, homeschool families themselves have created a broad array of supplemental co-ops, enrichments, and resource sharing organizations.
