Homeschooling in Kentucky? Here’s your plan.

Homeschooling in Kentucky works because the state treats your home school as a private school under KRS 159.160. Each year, within the first two weeks of the school year, you notify the superintendent of your local school district. If you start mid-year, you send the notice within two weeks of withdrawing your child from public school. The notice lists the names, ages, and places of residence of the children you are teaching, plus any other facts the superintendent asks for to administer the attendance laws.

During the year, you keep attendance records and scholarship reports (the courses your child completed and the grades awarded). These records are available for inspection by the Director of Pupil Personnel if requested, but you do not submit them proactively. No portfolio is required, and no teaching certificate is required for a parent teaching their own children.

Kentucky law sets no subject list, no minimum school year and no testing for a home school that is not state certified. The Kentucky Department of Education says it may not prescribe curriculum for homeschooling, and it recommends (but does not require) 170 days and 1,062 hours of instruction. Those subject and calendar rules apply only to private schools certified by the state (KRS 158.080).

Kentucky's 2021 Education Opportunity Account program (HB 563) was struck down in court and is not available. Homeschooled students may still qualify for the Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship (KEES) for college.

Sports and extracurriculars. Kentucky does not have a statute granting homeschool students access to public school athletics or extracurricular activities. Each district sets its own policy, so contact your local school district to ask what is available.

Dual enrollment. Homeschooled students may take college courses at Kentucky community colleges and universities. Under KRS 164.098, up to two courses may be state-funded. Contact your local community college for placement test requirements and enrollment details.

Withdrawal from public school. If your child is enrolled in public school, send your notice to the superintendent of your local school district within two weeks of withdrawal. A separate letter to your child's school is not required by state law.

Umbrella and church schools. Some families operate under an umbrella school or a church-related school program, which may file notifications, maintain records, and issue transcripts on the family's behalf. This is a practical arrangement, not a separate legal pathway. You are still operating under KRS 159.160.

High school diplomas and transcripts. As the operator of a private school, you issue the diploma and create the transcript. There is no state template.

IEP and special needs. Because Kentucky treats homeschools as private schools, your child may access some services through federal equitable services (proportionate share) funding. Complete the "declaration of participation" form from your district if you want services considered.

Record requirements. Keep attendance records and scholarship reports. These must be available for inspection by the Director of Pupil Personnel if requested, but you do not need to submit them proactively.