Montana homeschool requirements

Homeschooling is legal in Montana, but families need to file yearly notice and follow basic attendance, subject, and instruction-time rules.

Medium: Montana has a direct homeschool path, but it is more regulated than the lowest-regulation states. Families generally file a notice of intent each school fiscal year, keep attendance records, provide a set minimum number of instructional hours, and teach an organized course of study that includes the basic subjects required in Montana public schools.

7-16, or until 8th grade work is completed if later

Yes. Families notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year that the child is being homeschooled. Notify: The superintendent of schools of the county where the homeschool is located.. Deadline: During each school fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30. The HSLDA source suggests filing at the beginning of each school year.

English language arts, Mathematics, Social studies, Science, Health, Arts, Career education

At least 720 hours of instruction each school fiscal year for grades 1-3, and at least 1,080 hours each school fiscal year for grades 4-12.

No statewide testing requirement is described in the available sources reviewed here. Frequency: Not required statewide in the available sources.

Keep attendance records for your homeschool and make them available to the county superintendent on request. Families should also keep a copy of the yearly notice and strong academic records, especially for high school, even though the available sources mainly speak to attendance.

Montana's statute describes a home school as instruction by a parent of the parent's child, stepchild, or ward in the parent's residence. The available sources do not describe a separate parent teaching license requirement.

Moderate. Families choose their materials, but the homeschool must provide an organized course of study that includes the basic subjects Montana public schools are required to teach.