Indiana Homeschool Laws

I. General Overview of the Homeschooling Laws in Indiana

The main laws tackling the school attendance in the state of Indiana is the Indiana Code Section 20-8.1-
3-23 and 20-8.1-3-24. These were enacted in 1973 and amended in 1991. However, the state of Indiana
does not include any exact statutes pertaining to homeschooling. It rests on the case of State v.
Peterman in 1904 where the Indiana Appellate Court defined a school as a place where instruction is
imparted to the young and held that a homeschool is considered as a private school. In another the case
of in 1985, the Court of Appeals ruled for the homeschooling’s legality and ended the jurisdiction of
local school districts over homeschooling.

II. Notification of intent to homeschool in Indiana

A notification of intent for homeschooling is not required in the state of Indiana. The only thing
required of a parent, who wishes to have his or her child homeschooled, is to report to the
Department of Education, if requested specifically requested by them, the number of grade
level enrollments in that homeschool. On the other hand, if a child is enrolled in a public school
and is being withdrawn from it to be homeschooled, a notification from the parent to that
public school must be done. An online form is made available by the state’s Department of
Education to allow parents to register their homeschool but this registration is merely voluntary
and not mandatory.
III. Qualifications required to homeschool in Indiana

There is also no specific qualifications for the homeschool teachers. They are not required to be licensed
or certified to teach. Under the laws of Indiana, the parents may operate homeschools as private
schools. This is as long as the parents will provide the required number of days of instruction. The
parents are also required to keep attendance records. Unlike the homeschool laws of other states, there
are no requirements as to notification, assessment, or parent qualifications.

IV. Number of Days/Hours of instruction required for homeschoolers in Indiana

According to the law, parents or homeschool teachers must provide 180 days of instruction. Based on
this, it is at the parents discretion on how to set the days and number of hours per day which their
homeschool will adhere to for its operations.

V. What Subjects need to be covered in Home Education (and for how long) in
Indiana?

The law provides “instruction equivalent” to that of public schools. This phrase has never been
explained clearly. Curriculum requirements that are being followed by the public schools are not
applicable to homeschools because they are exempt from it. The only important thing is that the
medium of instruction is required to be in English.

VI. What are the record keeping requirements for homeschoolers in Indiana?

Parents are required to keep records of attendance of the students and furnish them, if asked or
specifically requested, to the state superintendent or the superintendent of the local school
corporation. This is done to make sure that the student is actually attending homeschool. The
superintendent of the state may request for the grade levels and number of children who are
homeschooled. However, this request is to be made individually and may not be made in a general
manner to homeschoolers.

VII. Is part time enrollment permitted in Indiana?

Yes, part time enrollment is allowed in Indiana. Under the law of the state, it is the decision of local
school corporations whether or not they will allow the part-time enrollment of homeschooled students.
State funding may likely be acquired by the school corporation depending upon the participation of
part-time students. Fort Wayne Community Schools Corporation, a school corporation in Indiana,
provided some guidelines with regard the part time enrollment of homeschooled students. The
guidelines included the following:

1) Requests for part time enrollment can be picked up in the Office of the Superintendent of the school
district;
2) Student intending to enroll part time must meet all of the criteria in relation to the Indiana Code 22-
33-2 which provides the compulsory school attendance;

3) Codes of conduct pertaining to full-time students of the public school shall be applicable to part time
students;

4) The parent/guardian must contact the appropriate administrator and/or guidance counselor to
schedule requested classes;

5) The parent/guardian must provide transportation for the student to and from all classes/courses.
The child can take the district’s bus transportation if his/her schedule is compatible with established
routes and schedule of the bus;

6) For courses with a prerequisite, part time students may be asked to provide proof that academic
criteria have been met, so long as they are required to comply with the same prerequisites as full-
time students.

7) Part-time enrollment student can participate in inter-scholastic athletics, provided the student also
follows the IHSAA and district eligibility guidelines; and lastly,

8) The final decision with regard placement and admission for all home education students part-time in
the Corporation is at the discretion of the superintendent.

VIII. Are homeschoolers permitted to participate in extracurricular activities in

Indiana?

Yes, they are allowed to participate in the extracurricular and educational activities of a public school as
long as the approval by the local Indiana school board or school superintendent is obtained. Elementary
or junior high homeschool students are able to join public school sports events and athletics but their
participation is at the public school’s discretion. On the other hand, for a homeschooled high school
student to partake in public high school athletics, the homeschool education program of the student
must also be in conformity to the bylaws of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA).