HOME SCHOOLING IN DISTRICT #191
Attached are responses for commonly asked questions regarding home school in District #191.
Q:
How do I home school my child?
A:
Parents must enroll their children in, public schools, parochial schools, private nonsectarian schools or home schools.
If you decide to home school your child, indicate your intent in writing to the Home School office at the Home School
Department, 202 Burnsville Parkway Burnsville, MN 55337. Upon receiving your letter, the necessary forms will be mailed to
you. After initial registration, you will receive annual home school registration information, unless you notify this office that
your children are enrolled elsewhere.
Q:
A:
What associations are available to support home school parents?
There are associations and accrediting agencies that provide supervision, information, support and accreditation to
home schools. Their names and phone numbers are on the Minnesota Department of Education website
www.education.state.mn.us and go to the following menu options: Just for Parents>Home School and Enrollment
Choices> “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) is a valuable resource parents will want to review to understand the
details of home schooling.
Q:
How do I decide what to teach and how do I go about getting textbooks?
A:
Home schools must comply with Minnesota’s Compulsory Instruction Law by providing instruction in the following
Subject areas:
1. Basic communication skills, including reading and writing, literature and fine arts
2. Mathematics and science
3. Social studies including history, geography and government
4. Health and physical education
Parents purchase their own materials and then request reimbursement up to the amount set by the Minnesota
Department of Education. A number of associations provide information on textbooks and you are encouraged to
contact them for information.
Q:
How do I get reimbursed for my textbook purchases?
A:
In order to be reimbursed, the Student Report for Aids to Nonpublic Students form, must be submitted no later than
October 1, 2013. Authorized rate of entitlement for this school year is $79.70 per student. Save your receipts from
your teaching material expenditures dated between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. When you have accumulated at
least the year’s allocation amount per student, submit only eligible receipts to the Home School Department by June
30, 2014. A check will then be issued to you.
Q:
What items are considered reimbursable under textbooks?
A:
The Minnesota Department of Education's manual Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Homeschooling in Minnesota
states, "materials must be nonsectarian and appropriate for potential use in a public school setting".
Q:
Can my child be home schooled and enroll in the public school for some classes?
A:
Students who are homeschooled may request to enroll for some classes in the public school for their attendance
area. Local policy determines which classes are eligible, capacity issues and other factors affecting eligibility to
enroll. Parents are responsible for contacting the principal of the school at which classes may be offered and are
responsible for transportation to and from the school. You are urged to follow this process precisely as not every
staff person in the district is familiar with home schooling or the options and limitations for enrollment.
Q:
Can my child, who is home schooled, participate in extra-curricular activities?
A Only homeschooled students or students in other very small nonpublic schools may participate under
state law. Any expanded participation would need mutual agreement of the district, nonpublic school
and, depending on the student’s grade level, the Minnesota High School League. Nonpublic school
students in schools of five or fewer students may participate in the resident school district’s
extracurricular activities that meet the characteristics of extracurricular activities detailed in law. The law
does not allow participation in extracurricular activities in another public school district where the student
was previously enrolled or at a charter school.
If a nonpublic school student in grades 10-12 is interested in participating in extracurricular activities in
another school district or charter school, they may join the Minnesota High School League and enter into
an agreement with that district or school. High School League policies pertaining to this arrangement are
Bylaws 104 and 403.
Minnesota High School League, 2100 Freeway Boulevard, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota 55430-1735;
phone (763) 560-2262, fax (763) 569-0499.
Q:
A:
Can my home school child with a disability receive special education services?
Special Education Services: Independent School District 191 is committed to locating any child residing within the
school district boundaries that has a disability and may be in need of special education services. If you are concerned
about your child’s educational achievement, language, articulation or social/emotional development and you suspect
your child may have a disability, please contact Stephanie Corbey, Executive Director, Individualized Student Services,
at 952-707-6261 or scorbey@burnsville.k12.mn.us She will discuss your specific concerns and determine if a special
education evaluation is appropriate. Special education services at an ISD191 school are available to a home school
child with a current Individual Education Program (IEP) plan.
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Q:
Can my student who is home schooled receive a Burnsville High School diploma?
A:
No. Home school students are not able to receive a Burnsville High School diploma. Only full-time students of
Burnsville High School or the Burnsville Area Learning Center, who fulfill graduation requirements set by the school
board and meet state standards, are eligible for a diploma from Burnsville High School. Home schools provide their
own diplomas and transcripts. We do not verify credits or provide proof of coursework if not enrolled in ISD 191.
Q:
If we decide to enroll our child in ISD 191 classes, how can my child receive credit toward graduation for the
home school courses they have already completed?
A:
The course content and rigor of home school courses will be compared with ISD 191 courses related to state
graduation standards for the purpose of awarding credit towards graduation. Pertinent materials from the home
school course, such as textbooks, the course syllabus, an outline of the course, and samples of student work must
be submitted to the counseling department of the ISD 191 school that offers corresponding coursework (i.e., 9 th
grade coursework should be submitted to the appropriate ISD 191 junior high school and coursework in grades 1012 should be submitted to Burnsville High School/Burnsville Area Learning Center).
Revised 9/13