Alabama Homeschool Laws and Resources

Alabama Homeschooling Laws and Regulations

Notice of Intent Required: Yes

3 Options for Homeschooling: Private Non-Public School, Enroll in a Church/Umbrella School, Hire a Private Tutor

Subject or Curriculum Requirements: No

Attendance Age Requirements: 6-17

Record-Keeping Requirements: No

Assessments or Evaluations Required: No

Proof of Immunization Required: Yes

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Options for Homeschooling in Alabama 

If your child is currently enrolled in public school, your first step towards homeschooling in Alabama is officially withdrawing them from public school. Your next step is determining your approach to homeschooling. 

TIP: Parents/guardians have three options when it comes to homeschooling their children in Alabama. 

You can enroll your child in a church school, hire a private tutor, or educate your child yourself at home. If you home educate in Alabama, you’re technically considered a private school. You will need to submit a Homeschool Notice of Intent that notifies your school superintendent that you’ll be choosing to operate as a private school. Contact your local school district to determine the steps they would like you to take. 

This generally includes filling out paperwork that lets them know what subjects you will teach, the length of time and hours of daily instruction, and keeping a daily attendance record.  

1. Private Non-Public School 

This recently-added option allows parents/guardians to teach their children privately at home. The definition of a private school is a school that is organized, supported, and funded by an entity other than the government. If you organize and support your students by teaching them at home in Alabama, you are a private school, even if you only have one student. 

2. Enroll in a Church/Umbrella School

A church school in Alabama operates as a religious ministry without receiving state or federal funding. It may include on-site or home programs where the child can receive instruction at the parent’s or guardian’s home or an existing church school. Parents/guardians are required to report their child’s enrollment to the local school district once, and the church school must keep an attendance register.

Tip: The number of days required to teach is set by each church school, unlike public schools, which require 180 days of instruction.  

These schools are also sometimes referred to as umbrella schools or cover schools. They often offer advantages such as extracurricular activities, transcripts and diplomas, support meetings, and graduation ceremonies. However, they can meet other requirements like fees, records retention risk in case of dissolution, and additional record submissions. Some may also require a statement of faith for enrollment. 

3. Hire a Private Tutor 

Your final choice for homeschooling is to hire a private tutor or teacher for your child. This is a good option for parents who want extra help on their homeschool journey.

Any private tutor you hire will need to be an Alabama-certified teacher. If you decide to go this route, you still need to follow all the other steps to ensure you follow the state guidelines. This includes either you or your tutor submitting your letter of intent, teaching the required subjects, keeping track of your student’s attendance, etc.  

Withdrawing Your Student from Public School in Alabama

It will be necessary to withdraw your children from public school before starting your homeschool journey in Alabama. Whether you start to homeschool in the middle of the year or transition between grades, you must notify your school that your student is no longer attending.  

TIP: The process for withdrawing your student will be specific to your local school district. Contact them to find out the procedure you should follow. 

This usually includes sending them a signed and dated letter with the following information:  

• Parent/guardians names & phone numbers
• Address, including city, state, and zip code 
• The student you are withdrawing by name, birthday, and grade level 
• The date you will start homeschooling and which of the three options you are choosing  
• A statement includes the name and address of the school that you are withdrawing your student from 

It’s a good idea to keep a copy of your letter and either deliver it in person or send it via certified mail. This will help you avoid problems if the letter gets lost or misplaced.  

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Qualifications to Homeschool in Alabama

As a parent or legal guardian, you don’t need to be a certified teacher or fulfill educational requirements, such as receiving a high school diploma, to be a home educator.  

Alabama Homeschool Subject and Curriculum Requirements

The requirements for teaching homeschool at a private school in Alabama are as follows: 

• Instruction must be in the English language
• Attendance tracking is required but only subject to reporting if the school district asks. 

There are no curriculum or subject requirements and record keeping, such as portfolios or transcripts, is also not required. The freedom to choose the subjects you teach and records you keep makes homeschooling in Alabama easy and flexible. 

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Alabama Homeschool Record-Keeping Requirements

Although record keeping isn’t required to homeschool in Alabama, it’s often helpful to keep track of tests and subjects studied, especially if your student plans to apply for college or technical school.  

Mandatory School Age in Alabama  

Children aged 6-17 must attend school. They can attend a public, private, or church school or receive private tutoring. If a child has never attended an on-campus school, parents/guardians can delay enrollment until age 7 by writing a letter to the school district.

TIP: Students attending church school can withdraw their child at age 16.

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Alabama Homeschool Assessments and Evaluations Requirements  

In Alabama, homeschoolers are not required to undergo assessments or evaluations. While the Praxis test is a popular option for evaluating reading, writing, and math skills in Alabama, it is not mandatory for any public or private school student. Nonetheless, many home educators in Alabama have their student take the Praxis test to help assess where their student is overall.

Immunization Requirements for Homeschoolers in Alabama   

Alabama requires proof of immunization for all private school students. If you choose to homeschool through option one, you must have proof of vaccination or a medical or religious exemption.

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Resources for Homeschoolers in Alabama

The state of Alabama offers abundant resources and support for homeschooling families. Our list below is a great way to start learning about the groups, co-ops, organizations, and associations available to homeschoolers in Alabama.

Homeschool Groups and Co-ops in Alabama

A homeschool group often includes multiple families that homeschool their children and come together to do fun activities like field trips and social events. There’s no set plan or director–just home educators working together to create a community for their kids and themselves. You can create your own homeschool group and ask others to join or look for established groups in your area. 

TIP: Libraries or other organizations sometimes host homeschool activities where you can meet other home educators and find groups to join. You can also search social media platforms like Facebook for established homeschool groups in your area.

Co-ops are more organized than homeschool groups. Parents/guardians work together to provide educational opportunities and resources for their kids. They might organize classes taught by parents or outside teachers, plan group activities, and go on field trips together.

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Homeschool Organizations and Associations

Homeschool organizations and associations are more formal than groups and co-ops. These organizations provide a wide range of support and help to homeschool families. They generally offer information, resources, and even advocacy efforts, legal support, and events.  

They also connect families with local homeschool groups and co-ops, making it easier for families to find support and resources. 

Here are a few homeschool groups, organizations, and associations in Alabama:

Cullman Homeschool Connection
HEIRS
Alabama SHINE Homeschool Group
Elmore County Homeschool Organization
Baldwin County Homeschoolers

Sports Opportunities for Homeschoolers in Alabama

Alabama state law does not require public schools to give homeschoolers access to their sports programs. However, joining sports has become easier since AHSAA (Alabama High School Athletic Association) updated its policies in 2016. 

You can read about the requirements here. 

Other options for homeschoolers participating in sports include the following: 

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Alabama Homeschool Field Trips

Field trip opportunities are abundant in Alabama! Whether you want to visit one of the many beautiful state parks or space or science museums, you’ll have a lot of choices.   

As you plan for your homeschool field trip, research your destination by viewing their website or calling and talking to someone. Many locations will offer you discounts for being homeschoolers. Those discounts may only apply to larger homeschool groups, so it’s a great idea to plan things within your homeschool group or co-op. You can use this handy field trip directory for more field trip ideas in Alabama.

Special Education Homeschoolers

Historically, Alabama has been a state where a cover school is needed to homeschool. That changed in 2014 with Alabama Code 16-1-11-2, which allows parents to homeschool their children without oversight.

When homeschooling without using a private school as a cover, there is little opportunity to receive support and services for special education needs.

However, if a family chooses to go through a private school, there may be an opportunity to receive services. Private schools can receive special education funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The available services, if any, would be determined by the private school and offered through them.

There are otherwise typically no special requirements or services for special education offered outside of the private school path.

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How Homeschool+ Curriculum Can Help You Homeschool in Alabama

Although Alabama doesn’t require any specific curriculum, many homeschoolers rely on a flexible, customizable online curriculum to supplement their own teaching, making Homeschool+ an ideal partner in your homeschool plan. 

Homeschool+ Curriculum includes fully adaptive math and reading programs for children ages 4 to 8; 12 online courses covering art, science, social studies, and more; and robust home educator tools that support your unique homeschool. Each course is customizable and created by curriculum experts.

The freedom and flexibility of Homeschool+ extend to the Home Educator Tools, which include a progress tracker for each child and a lesson planner. 

The Lesson Planner lets you customize the Homeschool+ curriculum by adding, removing, or moving lessons to meet the unique needs of your homeschool. Complete Lesson Plans support offline learning, providing three levels of exploration to take learning into the real world.

Your passion for homeschooling plus our powerful mastery curriculum can help your child build a strong foundation for success.

Learn more about what the Homeschool+ Curriculum programs can add to your homeschool here.

Alabama Homeschool FAQ:

Is homeschooling free in Alabama? 

Yes, homeschooling is free in Alabama.  

Homeschooling is considered a form of private education, and families are not required to pay tuition or fees for homeschooling their children.  

However, families may choose to purchase homeschool curriculum, textbooks, and other educational materials and participate in homeschooling-related events, activities, and organizations, which do cost money. 

So while homeschooling is free in Alabama, families may spend money on resources and activities to support their homeschooling efforts. 

How much does it cost to homeschool in Alabama?  

The cost of homeschooling can vary wildly depending on the materials and resources used. Because there are no state-funded programs or tax reimbursements for homeschooling in Alabama, home educators or legal guardians are responsible for children’s educational costs. 

What are Alabama homeschool diploma requirements?

In Alabama, homeschooled students do not receive an official diploma from the state. 

If you choose to homeschool by creating your own private school, you can choose to issue your own homeschool diploma. 

TIP: If you homeschool through a church or umbrella school, they will often issue diplomas. 

Is Alabama homeschool friendly? 

Yes, Alabama is considered a homeschool-friendly state. Homeschooling is legal in Alabama, and the state has flexible homeschooling laws, which allow home educators to choose from various educational approaches and resources.  

On top of this, Alabama has many homeschool field trip options and a lot of support throughout the state in the form of homeschool groups and co-ops, making homeschooling fun and rewarding. 

Is unschooling legal in Alabama?

Unschooling, defined as a child-directed form of school, is a form of homeschooling and is legal in Alabama. Unschooling is a little easier in Alabama since the state does not require you to meet specific subject requirements. Remember that when you unschool, you still need to keep attendance records and follow all other Alabama homeschool laws. 

How do I enroll in public school after homeschooling in Alabama?  

To enroll a homeschooled child in public school, you must follow the withdrawal procedures from your current school (if registered with a church school). 

Then, enroll in the desired public or private school and follow their enrollment procedures. 

TIP: Alabama public schools accept homeschoolers, but each school may have varying requirements, such as curriculum records, assessment reports, and placement testing to determine the student’s grade level.

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