Homeschooling in Maine: the law and how to start

Yes. Maine's compulsory attendance law lets families meet the requirement through 'equivalent instruction' instead of public school. The two options homeschooling families use are:

• Home instruction under 20-A M.R.S. §5001-A. This is the route most families take: you file a notice, teach the required subjects and submit an annual assessment.
• A private school recognized by the Department as providing equivalent instruction. Some families join together and operate as a small private school that is recognized for attendance purposes. The Department notes that recognition is not approval and is not an assurance about health and safety standards. Check the Department's explanatory statement for the current filing rules before choosing this route.

• Write your notice of intent. It must include your name, signature and address, your child's name and age, the start date, and a statement of assurance that the program will provide at least 175 days of instruction a year in the required subjects. The Department publishes a Notice of Intent form you can use.
• File it within 10 calendar days of starting. If you are withdrawing a child from school, the Department asks for the notice within 10 days of withdrawal; if you start in the fall, file by September 1.
• Send it to both the local superintendent and the Department. One submission through the Department's online home instruction portal counts as notice to both. The portal is optional, and you may instead give your superintendent the notice in another format as long as it contains everything required.
• Each following year, by September 1, file a letter saying you intend to continue, with your child's annual assessment attached.

There is no fee to file.

Your program must provide at least 175 days of instruction a year. Maine sets no minimum number of hours per day or per year.

Required subjects are English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills and fine arts. In addition, your child must study Maine studies in at least one grade from 6 to 12, and demonstrate proficiency in the use of computers in at least one grade from 7 to 12.

The state does not set curriculum standards for home instruction, so you choose your own materials and approach.

Every year after the first, your September 1 letter must include one approved annual assessment of your child's academic progress. Options include:

• a standardized achievement test, submitting a copy of the score summary;
• a test developed by local school officials, agreed before you file your notice;
• a review of your child's progress by a teacher holding a Maine certificate (some families arrange this through a local homeschool group);
• a review by a local advisory board arranged with your school district.

The Department's FAQ says notices filed without assessment results are flagged for follow-up, and that results are still due for the year just completed even if your child is leaving home instruction.

Keep a copy of everything you file, plus attendance and samples of work from each subject, so a teacher review is straightforward.

Maine does not issue grades, credits, diplomas, transcripts or grade-promotion letters for home instruction students, because the state sets no achievement standards for home instruction. You prepare your own transcript and diploma.

The Department suggests asking each college, military recruiter or employer what records they will accept. Keeping course descriptions, reading lists and test scores through high school makes this much easier.

Maine law (20-A M.R.S. §5021) sets standards for how school districts make public school resources available to home instruction students:

• Classes and credit: your child can earn credit for individual public school courses by meeting the same standards as other students in the course.
• Cocurricular and extracurricular activities: your child may take part, including trying out for school-sponsored teams and activities, after a written application to the principal, and must follow the same behavior and attendance rules as other students.
• Special education: home instruction students are eligible for special education services under federal rules and the Department's procedures. Contact your local school district to start the process.

The Maine Department of Education's home instruction pages include the notice forms, the statutes and a detailed FAQ, and Department staff answer questions about filing.

Statewide and regional homeschool organizations and local co-ops run activities, group classes and assessment days, and public libraries are a good place to find local groups. Look for groups that match your family's approach.