How to Homeschool Legally in Montana

So you’re thinking about homeschooling but you’re not sure where to start? Don’t worry! Meeting the legal requirements to homeschool in Montana is MUCH easier than you think!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A way to keep attendance records
• A copy of your child’s immunization records
• The curriculum of your choice

1. Find a local support group. You can easily find a support group in your area by checking the with most homeschooling websites or the HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association). They will be invaluable in letting you know what the local school district’s attitudes and policies are and in helping you through the first few ‘getting started’ weeks.
2. Obtain a membership to the HSLDA if at all possible. This step is completely optional but highly recommended. In exchange for their $115 a year membership fee they will handle any problems with social workers or school officials and even represent you in court (should it ever come to that) for no additional fee.
3. Send a letter of intent to homeschool to your county superintendent. If you’re nervous you can send it by certified mail but that’s totally optional. In about 7-10 days you’ll receive a packet full of forms. Feel free to use them for your record keeping -or not. When you receive the packet you’ll need to send back a copy of your child’s immunization record. You can easily obtain this from your child's pediatrician.
4. Begin keeping good attendance records. State law requires 720 hrs of instruction per fiscal year for grades 1-3 and 1080 hrs for grades 4-12. With a 180 day school year this consists of about 4 hours a day for the younger kids and about six hours a day for the older ones. Lunch breaks and recesses do not count toward this total, but any hours of instruction acquired in public school (if you start partway through the year) do. The fiscal school year runs from July 1st to June 30th.
5. Send in a letter of compliance at the end of the fiscal school year. This consists of a letter stating “We have met the required aggregate hours of instruction for (your child’s name)”. You do not have to include your attendance records but you do have to have them available for inspection upon request by the superintendent.
6. Congratulations! You're legally homeschooling. Belive it or not that' all you have to do! Happy Homeschooling!

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to find a good support group. They make all the difference when you’re first starting out.
• The compulsory attendence laws in Montana only apply to children between the ages of 7 and 16. If your child is younger or older than this you don't have to notify ANYONE of your intent to homeschool. There are no laws governing children of these ages.
• School officials and social workers can often be quite nasty. Don’t be alarmed. As long as you’ve followed all of the steps above there’s nothing they can do no matter how much they threaten.