MAINE
In Maine, you’ve got two ways to homeschool your kids: home instruction and private schooling. Let’s dive into the home instruction option!
Option 1: Homeschooling with Home Instruction
If you’re thinking about this route, here’s what you need to do:
1. Send a Notice of Intent: Kick things off by sending a one-time notice of intent to your local school superintendent within 10 days of starting your homeschool journey. No special form is required, but if you’re an HSLDA member, you might want to use their handy Maine Notice of Intent Form. In your notice, include your info, your child’s details, when you’re starting, and promises to teach for 175 days a year, cover the required subjects, and submit a year-end assessment. Remember to keep a copy for your records!
2. Annual Letter: Each year by September 1, send a quick letter to your superintendent. Again, no specific form is needed, but for HSLDA members, you can download a template. Just include your child’s year-end assessment and your intent to keep homeschooling. Keep a copy of this too!
3. Teach the Essentials: Make sure you’re covering the basics for 175 days a year, including English, math, science, social studies, and more—like Maine studies and computer skills at certain grades.
4. Year-End Assessment: By September 1, submit a year-end assessment. You can choose from a national standardized test, a local test, or a letter from a certified teacher or advisory board about your child’s progress. Keep a copy of whatever you submit.
For more details on assessments, check out the testing and evaluation page. It’s all about keeping things smooth and simple!
Option 2: Homeschooling through a Private School in Maine
If you’re considering homeschooling in Maine, there’s a neat option where parents can team up and form their own private school. The state acknowledges these setups as providing equivalent education, so it’s a valid way to meet school attendance laws.
To get this recognition, the school needs to cover a few key subjects, including:
– English (reading, writing, spelling, and grammar)
– Math
– Science
– American history
– Maine history and geography
– Government (with an emphasis on citizenship)
– Health education
– Fine arts
Homeschoolers that choose Option 2, are able to grab a few helpful templates from the HSLDA website ..they have templates available for all the necessary paperwork. To download these forms you must be a member of the site. These include:
– Notice to the Commissioner about establishing a Recognized as Equivalent Private School (REPS)
– Annual Letter to the School District for REPS
– Annual Letter to Parents for REPS
These templates make the process a breeze!
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