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Maine Homeschool Deadlines & Calendar

Key homeschool deadlines for Maine, based on 20-A MRSA Section 5001-A.

These are general deadlines for Standard Home Instruction, the most common of Maine's 2 pathways. Our free wizard calculates exact dates for your family and sends email reminders.

Key deadlines at a glance

Sep

1

Submit assessment evidence

Annual

Standardized test or Teacher evaluation or Portfolio review or Other approved method -- annual

Sep

1

Annual renewal

Annual

September 1 of each subsequent year

Filing deadlines

Initial filing deadline
Within 10 calendar days of beginning home instruction
Annual renewal deadline
On or before September 1 of each subsequent year
Send to
school officials of the school administrative unit where the student resides and the commissioner, simultaneously

Starting mid-year? Provide written notice of intent within 10 calendar days of the beginning of home instruction.

Practical tip: Send the notice of intent at the same time to the school officials of your local school administrative unit and to the Commissioner of Education (20-A MRSA §5001-A(3)(A)(4)(a)). The statute calls this a notice of intent, not an application for approval. If you plan to use the district's standardized test, a district-developed test or a local advisory board review for your annual assessment, your school officials must agree to it before you send the notice.

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Assessment deadlines

Varies by pathway. Standard Home Instruction: "09-01"; Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: undefined

Frequency
annual
Submit to
school officials of the administrative unit where the student resides and the commissioner
Submission deadline:
09-01

See our full assessment guide for Maine for accepted test types and scoring details.

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Reporting deadlines

Varies by pathway. Standard Home Instruction: ["annual_assessment"]; Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: undefined

Annual renewal
Required by September 1 of each subsequent year
Evidence required:
annual assessment

20-A MRSA 5001-A

Month-by-month calendar

September

  • •September 1: Submit assessment evidence
  • •September 1: Annual renewal

Other ways to homeschool in Maine

These deadlines are for Standard Home Instruction. Maine offers 2 pathways, and each may have different deadlines:

  • •
    Standard Home Instruction(this page): You send a written notice of intent to your local school officials and the Commissioner of Education within 10 calendar days of beginning home instruction. You provide at least 175 days of instruction a year in the required subject areas. On or before September 1 of each following year, you file a letter stating you will continue, with a copy of one annual assessment: a standardized achievement test, a test developed by your local school officials, a review by a certified Maine teacher, a portfolio review by a local homeschool support group that includes a certified Maine teacher or administrator, or a review by a local advisory board.
  • •
    Approved Private School or Correspondence Program: You enroll your child in a private school approved for attendance purposes under 20-A MRSA §2901, or in a private school recognized by the Maine Department of Education as providing equivalent instruction. Your child is credited with attendance when the school files a certificate with your local school officials showing your child's name, residence and attendance (20-A MRSA §5001-A(3)(A)(1)-(2)).

Our wizard calculates the right deadlines for your pathway. Compare all pathways for Maine

Never miss a deadline

Our wizard calculates your exact deadlines and sends email reminders so you never miss a filing date.

Get your Maine deadlines

Deadlines sourced from 20-A MRSA Section 5001-A. Last reviewed October 2026