Homeschool Laws by State: Alaska
Basic homeschooling in Alaska is extremely simple. Children are required to attend school between the ages of 7 and 16. According to the HSLDA, if a child begins 1st grade at the age of 6, they are under the compulsory attendance law at that point unless they are withdrawn within 60 days of enrollment. If withdrawn at that point, they are not under the attendance law again until they reach the age of 7. If you wish to homeschool, you have five options:
1. The most basic option is to just homeschool your child on your own. There are no requirements at all: no notification, no attendance records, no recordkeeping, no required testing, no teacher qualifications, and no required subjects.
If you wish to have a little more accountability in your life, you may want to take advantage of one of these options:
2. You can use a private tutor. With this option, you must use a certified teacher, have 180 days of school, and cover subjects that are comparable to those offered in the public schools. No notifications, recordkeeping or tests are required.
3. You can enroll your child in a full-time correspondence school that is approved by the state department of education. Your child will need to complete 180 days of school and cover subjects that are comparable to those offered in the public schools. No notifications, recordkeeping or tests are required.
4. You can submit a written request to the school board asking for approval for exemption from compulsory attendance so that your child can pursue an equal, alternate educational experience. Your child will need to complete 180 days of school and cover subjects that are comparable to those offered in the public schools. No notifications, recordkeeping or tests are required. There are no teacher qualifications required.
5. You can qualify as a religious or other private school by filing a "Private School Enrollment Reporting Form" with the local school superintendent by the first day of public school, as well as filing a "Private and Denominational Schools Enrollment Report" and a "School Calendar" with the state department of education by October 15th of each year. There are no teacher qualifications, but several records must be kept, including: monthly attendance, immunization records, courses studied, standardized testing, academic achievement and the children's physical exams. Standardized tests must be administered in grades 4, 6 and 8.
Important Notice: HomeschoolHelpWeb.com and Consumer Help Web, Inc. are not offering legal advice and are not law firms. This information is not a substitute for legal advice of any kind and may not be current. Your use of any information provided on this page is at your own risk. This information as provided is a public service and not intended to replace legal or other counsel. Contact your local or state homeschool groups and make sure you fully understand the laws and all of your options to fulfill those laws. Please see our page on Finding Out How to Legally Homeschool in Your State for further information.
