How to Start Homeschooling in Mississippi

Yes. Homeschooling in Mississippi is completely legal. The right is written directly into the compulsory attendance law.

Under Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-91(3)(c), a "legitimate home instruction program" is a recognized exemption from compulsory school attendance. This is not a gray area. The statute explicitly provides for it, and your school district cannot approve or deny your filing. You are notifying them of your decision, not asking permission.

Mississippi is consistently rated as one of the least regulated states for homeschooling in the entire country. Mississippi homeschool rules do not require a teaching degree or any credential. You do not follow a state-approved curriculum. You do not give standardized tests or submit progress reports. The state gives you complete discretion over your child's educational content, methods, and schedule.

Mississippi requires education for children ages 6 through 17 under Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-91.

Here is the detail that matters for planning. Your child must be enrolled if they turn 6 on or before September 1 of the calendar year. A child whose 6th birthday falls after September 1 does not start compulsory attendance until the following year. This September 1 cutoff gives you a clear planning window.

Kindergarten is not compulsory in Mississippi. Your child can stay home until age 6 without filing any paperwork at all. However, be aware of one important wrinkle: if you voluntarily enroll your child in a public school kindergarten program, that enrollment may trigger compulsory attendance requirements. Once enrolled, the rules change. If you plan to homeschool from the start, consider skipping public kindergarten entirely to keep things simple.

Here is how to start homeschooling in Mississippi. You can finish the paperwork in a single afternoon.

Step 1: Get the Certificate of Enrollment form. Call your local school district office today and ask for the Certificate of Enrollment for home instruction. You can also find information on the Mississippi Department of Education website at mdek12.org/ocsa/home-school/. This is a standard state form. You do not write your own letter.

Step 2: Fill out the certificate. The form asks for your child's name, address, and date of birth. Write a statement that you are providing a legitimate home instruction program. Add a brief description of the type of education you are providing -- one or two sentences is plenty. Sign it. That is the whole form.

Step 3: File it with the school attendance officer. Send or deliver the completed certificate to the school attendance officer of your resident school district. This is critical: not the principal, not the superintendent, not the state Department of Education. The school attendance officer. Call your district and ask specifically who this person is before you file. Filing with the wrong person is one of the most common mistakes families make.

Step 4: File by September 15. Mark this date on your calendar right now. Your certificate is due by September 15 of each school year. If you are starting mid-year after withdrawing from public school, file your Certificate of Enrollment promptly when you withdraw. The statute says parents may "at a later date" begin home instruction for students who were enrolled during the first 15 days of the school year. Do not wait until next September.

Step 5: Renew every single year. The Certificate of Enrollment does not carry over from year to year. File a new one each September. Set a recurring reminder for early September so you never miss it. Missing this deadline is the most common compliance mistake Mississippi homeschool families make, and it can trigger an attendance inquiry.

Your one required document is the Certificate of Enrollment for home instruction. It goes to the school attendance officer of your resident school district.

The certificate includes your child's name, address, and date of birth. You add a statement confirming you are providing a legitimate home instruction program, a brief description of the education, and your signature. The whole form fits on a single page.

This filing is notification only under Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-91(3)(c). The school district does not approve or deny your program. They may acknowledge receipt, but they have zero authority to reject your certificate. You are informing them. Full stop.

If your child is currently in school, here is exactly how to make the switch.

Write a withdrawal letter to your child's school. State that you are withdrawing your child for home instruction under Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-91(3)(c). Send it to both the school and the school district attendance officer as required by Miss. Code Ann. 37-15-11. Request your child's records -- transcripts and any other documentation -- at the same time.

File your Certificate of Enrollment with the attendance officer simultaneously. Handle both the withdrawal and the certificate together so there is no gap in your child's enrollment status. This works at the start of the school year or mid-year. Do not let the school slow you down. Once filed, you are on solid legal ground.

If your child has never been enrolled in any school, the process is even simpler. You only need the Certificate of Enrollment. No withdrawal letter necessary.

Mississippi offers two legal pathways for educating your child at home.

Pathway 1: Legitimate Home Instruction Program (Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-91(3)(c)). This is the choice used by the vast majority of Mississippi homeschool families. File a Certificate of Enrollment annually with your school attendance officer. No teacher qualifications. No mandated subjects. No testing. No reporting beyond the certificate. Maximum freedom, minimum paperwork. This guide covers this pathway.

Pathway 2: Non-Public School (Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-91(2)(a)). Register as a non-public school with the state rather than the local attendance officer. This pathway is better suited for micro-schools or co-op settings than individual families. Mississippi does not have a strong umbrella school tradition like neighboring Alabama. If you are a single family homeschooling your own children, Pathway 1 is almost certainly your best fit.

Details and opportunities every Mississippi homeschool family should know:

You issue the diploma. Mississippi does not provide a state homeschool diploma. You create your child's transcript and award the diploma yourself. Start building transcripts in 9th grade with detailed course listings, credits, and grades. Mississippi public universities accept parent-issued diplomas alongside ACT or SAT scores and a parent-prepared transcript. The Mississippi Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning sets admission policies, so check with your target university for specifics.

Keep records even though the law does not require them. Mississippi has no recordkeeping mandate beyond saving copies of your annual Certificate of Enrollment. But families who skip records face real problems later. Maintain attendance logs, curriculum records, work samples, and grade records throughout the year. You will need them for college admissions, re-entry to public school (where the district determines grade placement and may administer placement tests), military enlistment, and employment verification. The effort is worth it.

Know the rules on public school sports. Mississippi does not have a Tim Tebow law. Your child has no guaranteed right to play on public school teams or join extracurricular activities. Access is at local school district discretion, subject to MHSAA rules. Some homeschool organizations and co-ops run their own sports teams -- connect with the Mississippi Home Educators Association (MHEA) at mhea.net to find options near you.

Explore dual enrollment. Homeschool students can take community college courses in Mississippi. Requirements vary by institution but typically include minimum age and ACT sub-scores. Contact your nearest community college's admissions office to learn their process. The Mississippi Community College Board sets overall policies.

Look into the ESA for special needs. Mississippi's Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act (Miss. Code Ann. 37-13-92) provides Education Scholarship Accounts worth up to $7,988 per student for 2025-2026. Eligibility is restricted to students with qualifying disabilities who had an IEP within the past three years. Funds cover therapies, curriculum, tutoring, and testing. Apply through the MDE Scholarship Portal at mde-scholarship-esa.mdek12.org. Know the tradeoffs before you apply: students who withdraw from public school forfeit their IEP and special education services, and accepting ESA funds means your child has no entitlement to FAPE. The program is currently set to expire July 1, 2028 unless the legislature renews it.

A separate Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship exists. If your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, Mississippi offers a Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for attending approved dyslexia therapy schools. Check with the Mississippi Department of Education for current availability.

Co-ops are welcome and unregulated. Homeschool co-ops operate freely in Mississippi. Each participating family files its own Certificate of Enrollment. Co-ops do not need to register as a non-public school unless they choose to. This is a great way to add group learning and community to your homeschool life.