Legal/Homeschool Laws
Laws that regulate home education vary from state to state. It is important to understand the legal requirements in your state and to be aware of legislative and other legal issues that affect homeschoolers in your community. We've compiled resources that will help you become informed. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and the vast majority of homeschoolers face no problems, you may find that you need legal assistance at some point in your homeschooling career. We've compiled a list of resources to help you find the support you need. And if you'd like to become more involved in working towards homeschooling freedoms, we discuss some of the issues facing homeschoolers that we hope you find compelling.
State Laws
Read the laws regulating home education in Louisiana and browse through the case law and legal opinions relating to those laws, along with government publications relating to homeschooling and summaries of the laws.
Forms
Which forms do you need to fill out? Where can you get them? Here is a list of useful forms for homeschooling in Louisiana.
Legal Support
If you need legal information or have run into a legal situation regarding your decision to homeschool, these resources will be helpful.
Lobbying Groups
A listing of local and national lobbying groups and information on how you can become involved in the political process to ensure the freedom to homeschool is protected.
Attorneys
When searching for an attorney, it is helpful to know whether he or she has experience working with homeschoolers and is interested in protecting the right to homeschool.
Legal Issues
Is homeschooling legal? Which laws pertain to homeschoolers and which don't? How do homeschoolers protect their rights to freely educate their children and to preserve their privacy?
Government Resources
A listing of local and state government resources, including your state's Department of Education, school districts, and Senate and House of Representative information.
What's Popular
Louisiana Department of Education - Non-Approved Registration Form
The DOE site now only has general information about submitting a notice or letter of intent on its site and is apparently discontinuing the use of its private school notification form. The most recent copies are archived on this site. However, you should submit a letter, rather than the old form. This link is provided for reference.
RS 17:236 Definition of a school.
For the purposes of this Chapter, a school is defined as an institution for the teaching of children, consisting of an adequate physical plant, whether owned or leased, instructional staff members, and students. For such an institution to be classified as a school, within the meaning of this Chapter, instructional staff members shall meet the following requirements: if a public day school or a nonpublic school which receives local, state, or federal funds or support, directly or indirectly, the...
Overview of the Nonpublic Annual School Report System
If you are operating an educational program or school but do not wish to seek state approval as either an SBESE-Approved Home Study or Approved Nonpublic School, please click the link to find out how to register your nonpublic (private) school in accordance with R.S. 17:232 (C) and (D). This information is provided by the Louisiana Department of Education.
Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education - Approved Home Study Program (pdf)
Louisiana Department of Education form. This form is in pdf format.
Louisiana Home Education Network Announcement List
The purpose of this list is to alert homeschoolers to upcoming events or legislation, particularly as it pertains to homeschoolers in the state of Louisiana. This is an announcement only list.
Christian Home Educators Fellowship (CHEF) of Louisiana
The Christian Home Educators Fellowship (CHEF) of Louisiana is a Christian organization comprised of Christian home school support groups from around the state. They provide timely national and state news, assist in the formation of new home education support groups, direct new families to a group in their area, support home education research, provide training for support group leaders, and more.
Louisiana Department of Education
This is the official web presence for the Louisiana Department of Education.
BESE-Approved Home Study Program
A BESE-Approved Home Study program provides Louisiana families the opportunity to independently educate their child.
In a BESE-Approved Home Study program, parents have complete control and responsibility for educating their child.
Parent’s primary responsibilities include: a) selecting and using the curriculum to teach their child; b) determining the
child’s grade placement; and c) submitting initial and renewal home study applications to the LDE for approval.
RS 17:221 School attendance; compulsory ages; duty of parents; consent to withdraw.
A.(1) Every parent, tutor, or other person residing within the state of Louisiana, having control or charge of any child from that child's seventh birthday until his eighteenth birthday, shall send such child to a public or private day school, unless the child graduates from high school prior to his eighteenth birthday. Any child below the age of seven who legally enrolls in school shall also be subject to the provisions of this Subpart. Every parent, tutor, or other person responsible for se...
Sample Letter to the State Superintendent of School
CHEF of Louisiana provides these guidelines for writing your letter of intent to home educate in the state of Louisiana under the private school law.
General Information Regarding the Home Study Program
Listed here are instructions and information for applying and administering a home study program. This summary is provided by the Louisiana Department of Education.
SBESE-Approved Home Study Information Packet
The information packet contains general information and instructions regarding the Home Study Program; guidelines for compliance; guidelines for transferring students into public school systems (e.g., participation in the LEAP 21); order form for LA Content Standards and Assessment Guides; a list of district test coordinators; legislation related to the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), and a Home Study Program application.
Private School Letter of Intent
Homeschoolers in Louisiana may notify the DOE of their intent to homeschool as a private school by sending in an annual letter of intent. It is not necessary to use the form that the DOE supplies. The letter may be sent within 30 days of beginning their private-school homeschool. The 30 day time frame was established as a means for the state to count the number of children in private schools at the beginning of each school year. If a homeschooling parent starts in the middle of the current schoo...
Sample Letter of Intent
Sample letter of intent to homeschool in the state of Louisiana.
RS 17:11 Approval of private schools by board.
A. The board shall adopt standards and guidelines which shall be applied in determining whether a private or proprietary school applying for approval meets the requirements of a sustained curriculum or specialized course of study of quality at least equal to that prescribed for similar public schools. The board shall appoint an advisory committee of private and proprietary school representatives, who shall advise and counsel with the board relative to standards and guidelines affecting these s...
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