Homeschooling Options for Alaskans

Homeschooling under the Alaska Homeschool Statute – Independent/Private Homeschooling

This gives the most freedom by allowing you to educate your child at home as long as you are the parent or legal guardian.

There are NO requirements by the state with this option — no notification, no parent/teacher qualification, no required approval, no assessments and no testing.

LEARN MORE: Independent Homeschooling in Alaska

Homeschooling with a Correspondence Program

Alaska has 35 state funded correspondence programs operated by public or charter schools in districts throughout the state.

These programs provide families with support in multiple ways including a financial educational allotment for each enrolled child.

Allotment funds can be used to pay for a wide variety of homeschool curriculum, supplies and services. Depending on the program, allotments vary from $500 to $4,000 annually.

Alaskan families enrolled in a correspondence program have freedom to choose curriculum that suits their child(ren)’s educational philosophy and goals, including the option to use faith-based curriculum. However, religious materials can not be purchased with state allotment funds.

Children enrolled in a correspondence program are assigned a contact or sponsor teacher who serves as an advisor and works closely with their parent(s)/guardian(s) to create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) as well as help pick out curriculum.

There are various rules and regulations associated with enrolling in a state funded correspondence program and those may vary depending on the program.

All programs are bound by Alaska’s Correspondence Program Regulations to require annual education plans per student (referred to as an Individual Learning Plan or ILP), monthly communication with your assigned contact or sponsor teacher, quarterly progress reviews / work sample submissions per subject listed on the child’s ILP, as well as testing after grades 3 through 10.

LEARN MORE: Homeschool Correspondence Programs in Alaska

Homeschooling with School Board Approval

According to HSLDA: Your child does not have to attend public school if he “is equally well-served by an educational experience approved by the school board.”

In order to homeschool under this option, you must submit a written request to the principal or school administrator of the school your child attends and receive a written excuse from school attendance.

Homeschooling as a Religious Private School

Requirements according to HSLDA:

File a Notice of Enrollment with the state. Parents interested in this option must file a notice of enrollment with their local superintendent by the first day of public school. That form can be found on the state’s Department of Education website under Enrollment Reporting Form for School Districts.

File the Exempt Religious & Other Private Schools Enrollment and School Calendar forms. These forms must be filed before October 15 each year with the state Department of Education.

Maintain monthly attendance records. Your school must maintain monthly attendance records showing 180 days of school attendance each year.

Maintain permanent records. You must maintain and certify to the Alaska Department of Education that you are maintaining permanent records of immunization, courses, standardized testing, academic achievement, and physical exams. Use the Affidavit of Compliance provided by the department on its website.

File a corporal discipline policy. If your school has children of more than one family, file a corporal discipline policy with the Alaska Department of Education. Use the Corporal Punishment Policy form provided by the department on its website.

Do not accept any state or federal funding. Private or religious schools by definition cannot receive direct state or federal funding.

Comply with testing requirements. Standardized testing is required for 4th, 6th, and 8th grades. Test results must be made available to the Department of Education upon request. The parent may select any nationally standardized achievement test that measures achievement in English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics.