Louisiana Homeschool Laws

There are two main homeschool options in Louisiana:

1. Homeschooling as a home study program.
2. Homeschooling as a home-based private school.

Homeschooling as a home study program. You must apply to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval of the home study program within 15 days after beginning to homeschool, and the application must be renewed annually by October 1 of the school year or 12 months after initial approval, whichever is later. Your program will be approved if you certify that it will offer a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that being taught in the public schools. You must include a copy of your child’s birth certificate.

1. Teach for the required 180 days each year.

2. Teach the required subjects using a curriculum of a quality that is equal to what is taught in the public schools; subjects must be taught at the same grade level as public schools.

3. Provide evidence of immunization to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education when your child is 11 years old; this includes evidence that your student has received immunization against meningococcal disease, unless you have a waiver for religious, medical, or personal reasons.

4. Renew your application for approval, which is contingent upon the submission of satisfactory evidence that your program has offered a sustained curriculum of quality that is equal to what is taught in the public schools at the same grade level. You must also submit materials that can include a complete outline of each subject taught, a list of books and materials, copies of the student’s work, copies of standardized tests, and statements of third parties who have observed your child’s progress.

Rather than submitting the materials mentioned above with your renewal application, you can instead provide:

• Your child’s passing score on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) test;
• Your child’s score on a California Achievement Test (CAT) or other standardized test approved by the state board of education (the score must be at or above grade level or must show “progress at a rate equal to one grade level for each year in the home study program”); or
• A written statement by a teacher certified to teach at your child’s grade level verifying that the child is being taught in accordance with a sustained curriculum that is equal to that which is taught in the public schools or equal to that offered by public schools to a child of similar disabilities.

5. Apply for a TOPS scholarship, if desired. Homeschool students who enroll in a home study program no later than the end of 10th grade may be eligible for a Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) award based on their ACT scores.

Homeschooling as a home-based private school. These are the steps you must follow to homeschool as a home-based private school.

1. If your child has been attending public school, provide written notification of enrollment to the public school your student attended within 10 days of enrollment in the home-based private school. The notice must include your child’s legal name, date of birth, gender, and race. You can include in the notification a request for your child’s transcript.
2. Do not accept any federal or state funds, whether directly or indirectly; otherwise your school will not qualify under this statute.
3. Provide annual notice of attendance to the Louisiana Department of Education as of the 30th day of your school term.
4. Teach for the required 180 school days.

Here you’ll find websites for any questions you may have about education in the state of Louisiana:

• Department of Education: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/
• Louisiana State Government – Education: https://doe.louisiana.gov/
• Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: https://bese.louisiana.gov/
• U.S. Department of Education – Louisiana: https://www.ed.gov/category/location/louisiana
• Louisiana School and Center Finder: https://louisianaschools.com/
• Louisiana Association of Educators: https://www.lae.org/
• List of Louisiana school districts: https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_school_districts_in_Louisiana

Whether you already homeschool or are looking to do so, these Louisiana homeschool programs/resources are quite useful if you’re searching for support, co-ops, or answers to questions about homeschooling in your state.

• Ascension Parish Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AscensionParishHomeschoolers/
• Baton Rouge Homeschool Association: https://www.facebook.com/groups/59660615921/?ref=br_rs
• Bayou Homeschoolers of Northeast Louisiana: https://www.facebook.com/groups/397119670352013/?ref=br_rs
• Fort Polk/Leesville Homeschool Moms: https://www.facebook.com/groups/206011706176606/
• Homeschoolers of Lafayette, LA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/454778524615462/?ref=br_rs
• Homeschooling Heroes NOLA: https://www.homeschoolingheroes.com/
• Houma Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/403053498355/
• Iberia Parish Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1322962477731246/?ref=br_rs
• Lagniappe Homeschool Co-op: https://lagniappehomeschool.wixsite.com/co-op
• Mt. Everest Homeschool Co-op – Baton Rouge: https://www.facebook.com/mteverestcoop/
• NOLA Homeschoolers: https://www.nolahomeschoolers.com/
• Northshore Home Educators Association: https://www.homeschool-life.com/la/northshorehea/
• Pontchartrain Christian Athletics: https://www.pcathletics.org/
• Roman Catholic Homeschool Association of Louisiana: https://www.rchal.org/
• Shreveport Area Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/172666396204108/?ref=br_rs
• Shreveport Area Secular Homeschooling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ShreveportAreaSecularHomeschooling/
• Slidell Christian Home Educators Fellowship: https://www.slidellchristianhomeschool.org/
• Southeast Louisiana Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/519159214960865/?ref=br_rs
• Southern Louisiana Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/326040778471/?ref=br_rs
• St. Tammany Parish Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STPHomeschoolers/?ref=br_rs

One of the many benefits of homeschooling in Louisiana is the flexibility to explore! Here are some ideas for amazing–and educational–field trips around the great state of Louisiana!

• Alexandria Zoological Park: Alexandria, LA
• Amistad Research Center: New Orleans, LA
• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: New Orleans, LA
• Audubon Insectarium: New Orleans, LA
• Audubon Zoo: New Orleans, LA
• BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo: Baton Rouge, LA
• The Cabildo: New Orleans, LA
• The Children’s Museum: Lake Charles, LA
• Global Wildlife Center: Folsom, LA
• The Historic New Orleans Collection: New Orleans, LA
• Insta-Gator Ranch: Covington, LA
• Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium: Lafayette, LA
• LIGO Livingston Observatory: Livingston, LA
• Louisiana Art and Science Museum: Baton Rouge, LA
• Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center: Hammond, LA
• Louisiana’s Children Museum: New Orleans, LA
• Louisiana State Capitol Building: Baton Rouge, LA
• Louisiana State Exhibit: Shreveport, LA
• Louisiana Tech University Idea Place: Ruston, LA
• National WWII Museum: New Orleans, LA
• New Orleans Glassworks and Printmaking: New Orleans, LA
• Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum: Monroe, LA
• Old Hickory Railroad & Model Train Display: Jackson, LA
• The Rapides Exploratory Education (TREE) House: Alexandria, LA
• Red River National Wildlife Refuge: Bossier City, LA
• Sabine National Wildlife Refuge: Hackberry, LA
• Sci-Port Discovery Center & Science Museum: Shreveport, LA
• USS KIDD Veterans Memorial: Baton Rouge, LA