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.
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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.
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.
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.
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...
Rules and Procedures for the Distribution of School Books and Materials to Home Study Students
Includes information on the distribution of books to home study students.
Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education - Approved Home Study Program (html)
Louisiana Department of Education form. This form is in html format.
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 (LAHEN)
Louisiana Home Education Network (LAHEN) is a statewide homeschooling network consisting of families covering a diverse spectrum of homeschooling styles and philosophies. It exists to help homeschoolers protect the fundamental right of the family to educate its children in the manner it deems appropriate without regulation or interference by federal, state or local agencies.
Louisiana Home Education Network monitors and responds to legislation which may pose a threat to homeschooling, and to...
RS 17:236.1 Approval of home study programs.
A. A parent or legal guardian shall apply to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval of a home study program. An initial application must be made within fifteen days after commencement of the program. A renewal application must be made by the first of October of the school year, or within twelve months of approval of the initial application, whichever is later. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, upon receipt of such initial or renewal application, shall imm...
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...
Louisiana Department of Education
This is the official web presence for the Louisiana Department of Education.
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.
Louisiana Home School Laws from HSLDA
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Louisiana. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Louisiana.
Sample Letter of Intent
Sample letter of intent to homeschool in the state of Louisiana.
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...
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Featured Resources
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Taking Charge of Your Child's Education: A Guide to Becoming the Primary Influence in Your Child's Life
Every parent wants to give their child the best start in life. The best way to do that is to get fully involved in their educational process as their primary influence. This book is full of helpful information, resources, and tools that will lead you...
Montessori Play And Learn : A Parent's Guide to Purposeful Play from Two to Six
We all want the best possible starts in life for our children, and one of the best possible starts in life, educationally, is the "method" pioneered by Maria Montessori and taught successfully today throughout the world.Now, Lesley Britton, the leadi...
The Unprocessed Child: Living Without School
This book shows how school is not necessary for a child to gain learning, socialization, or motivation. It offers a look at radical unschooling, a way of educating children without coercion, curriculum, or control. This look at a child who grows from...
Better Late Than Early: A New Approach to Your Child's Education
In this book, Raymond and Dorothy Moore look at the research behind learning styles for children. The message of slowing down and responding to your child's readiness is a welcome contrast to the common practice of pushing young children through the ...
Cognitive Styles and Learning Strategies: Understanding Style Differences in Learning and Behaviour
First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.