How to Start Homeschooling in Kentucky

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Kentucky. The legal basis is KRS 159.160, under which a home school operates as a private school and reports its students to the local superintendent.

Here is what that means in practice. You send an annual notice to the superintendent of your local school district, and you keep attendance and scholarship records available for inspection if requested. You do not submit progress reports or a portfolio.

You do not need teaching credentials to teach your own children. No certificate or degree is required for a parent homeschooling their own family. (A third-party home-based school that teaches other families' children has additional requirements.)

Kentucky's compulsory attendance applies to children ages 6 through 18. Your child falls under this requirement once they have reached age 6 by August 1 of the school year.

If your child is under 6, or turns 6 after August 1, you have no legal obligation to file yet. Take that time to explore what homeschooling style fits your family best.

Getting started takes one main step: sending a notice to the superintendent of your local school district. Here is your checklist for how to start homeschooling in Kentucky.

Step 1: Gather the required information. Your notice must list the names, ages, and places of residence of the children you are teaching. The superintendent may also ask for other facts needed to administer the attendance laws.

Step 2: Write your notice. Address it to the superintendent of your local school district. There is no mandated state form. A plain letter with the required information is accepted.

Step 3: Send it on time. Send it within the first two weeks of the school year. Starting mid-year? Send it within two weeks of withdrawing your child from public school. The superintendent does not approve or deny this. You are informing them, not asking.

Step 4: If your child is enrolled, handle the withdrawal. The official notice on withdrawal goes to the superintendent within two weeks. A separate letter to your child's school is not required by state law.

Step 5: Start teaching and keep records. Keep attendance records and scholarship reports from the first day. You choose the subjects and the length of your school year.

Your only required paperwork is one notice per year. Send it to the superintendent of your local school district. Include the names, ages, and places of residence of your children, plus any other facts the superintendent requests to administer the attendance laws.

File this within the first two weeks of the school year, and resubmit it every year. If you start mid-year, file within two weeks of withdrawal from public school. There is no mandated state form, and a free-form letter is accepted.

You do not submit progress reports or a portfolio. Keep a copy of your letter for your own files, along with proof of when you sent it.

Keep your records ready from day one. The Director of Pupil Personnel can request your records for inspection. Keep these current: (1) attendance records, (2) scholarship reports showing the courses your child completed and the grades awarded, and (3) a copy of your annual notice. You do not submit these unless asked. A simple binder or folder does the job.

Public school sports and clubs are not guaranteed. Kentucky does not have a statute granting homeschool students access to public school athletics or extracurricular activities. Each district sets its own policy. If your child is interested, ask your local school: "My child is homeschooled. Does our district allow homeschool students to participate in any extracurricular activities?"

Dual enrollment in college. Kentucky homeschooled students may take college courses at community colleges and universities. Under KRS 164.098, up to two courses may be state-funded. Your child may need to meet age or grade-level requirements and take placement tests. Ask your nearest community college: "What are the dual enrollment options for homeschooled students, and how do we apply?"

You create and issue the diploma. As the operator of your private school, you create both the diploma and the transcript. There is no state template. Building the transcript year by year, starting in ninth grade, makes college applications easier.

Consider an umbrella school or church school. Some families prefer an organization to help with paperwork. An umbrella school or church-related school program may file notifications, maintain records, and issue transcripts on your behalf. Either way, you are still operating under KRS 159.160. This is a support option, not a different legal pathway.

Special education options. Homeschooled students are not entitled to a full IEP through the public school while homeschooling. But because Kentucky treats homeschools as private schools, your child may access some services through equitable services (proportionate share) funding. Complete the "declaration of participation" form from your district if you want services considered. The district must also locate and evaluate children suspected of having a disability under federal Child Find. Call your district's special education office and ask about the declaration of participation form and services available to private school students.

The Kentucky ESA is not available. Kentucky's 2021 Education Opportunity Account program (HB 563) was struck down in court and is not operating. Do not count on it for funding.