How to Homeschool in Louisiana

Louisiana homeschool law in detail

We link the governing law so you can read it yourself instead of taking our word for it. The governing law is La. R.S. 17:236.1 (Approval of home study programs).

Notice / letter of intent

Option 1, the BESE-approved home study program (La. R.S. 17:236.1): apply to the Louisiana Department of Education within 15 days of beginning home study, using the LDOE online application system (paper available). The initial application includes a certified copy of the child's birth certificate and a parental assurance statement. Approval is annual: renew by October 1 or within 12 months of your initial approval, whichever is later. Option 2, operating as a nonpublic school not seeking state approval: register with the LDOE, give written notice to your child's previous public school within 10 days of enrollment, and file an annual attendance report with the LDOE by the 30th day of the school term.

Required subjects

Home study programs must offer a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that taught in the public schools at the same grade level. State guidance also expects instruction touching founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence in elementary grades and the Federalist Papers in high school The nonpublic-school option has no state curriculum list or approval; you choose freely.

Required days or hours

Both options call for 180 days of instruction per school year. You design the daily schedule and calendar yourself; there is no hourly requirement on the pages we reviewed.

Recordkeeping

Home study families should keep materials that demonstrate the program's quality, since renewal requires evidence of progress; many keep a portfolio of work samples, curriculum lists, and test results. Nonpublic-school families file the annual attendance report with the LDOE and should keep their own attendance log to back it up. Both paths benefit from keeping report cards and transcripts at home, because the state holds no student records for you.

Testing and assessment

There is no required annual state test for homeschoolers. For home study renewal, you document satisfactory progress by one of several routes: a passing score on a LEAP state assessment, results at or above grade level on a recognized standardized test such as the California Achievement Test, or a written statement from a Louisiana-certified teacher that the curriculum is at least equal to public school quality. BESE-approved home study students are exempt from the state assessments given in public schools. The nonpublic-school option has no assessment requirement at all.

Withdrawing from public school

Enroll your child in your chosen option first, then notify the current public school in writing. If you choose the nonpublic-school path, the written notice to the previous school within 10 days is itself part of the legal requirement. Home study applicants should file the BESE application within 15 days of beginning, so withdrawing and applying in the same week keeps you cleanly inside both windows. Keep copies of the application or registration confirmation and the withdrawal letter.

Good to know

Louisiana's two-path system is the key thing to understand before you start; the BESE home study path is the one with state-recognized benefits (diploma weight, TOPS, Act 715 sports access), while the registered nonpublic path is the low-oversight route. Meningococcal immunization documentation around ages 11 and 16 appeared in guidance for home study students The LDOE moved its site from louisianabelieves.com to doe.louisiana.gov, so update old bookmarks.