Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states, and families successfully file their state paperwork every year. Each state writes its own educational code, so the forms, deadlines, and definitions vary from one state to the next. St. Thomas Aquinas Academy families across the country handle this paperwork with confidence by pairing the Academy’s academic guidance with the legal guidance of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). This article answers the questions families ask most often when the state forms arrive.

A word before we begin. We are not attorneys, and nothing in this article is legal advice. It reflects our experience and our general understanding, and every point in it should be checked against the legal experts. We recommend that every homeschooling family register with the Home School Legal Defense Association and consult their regularly updated, state-by-state legal guides at hslda.org/legal. Families enrolled with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy will find an HSLDA discount code in the welcome packet.

Is St. Thomas Aquinas Academy a school?

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy is not run by a parish or by the Catholic Church, and it is not a school in the legal sense. It is a homeschool program, an educational consultancy designed for Catholic homeschooling families. In your state’s eyes, you are the one operating your child’s school; we are the experienced friend at your side.

Families use the Academy in two ways. Families who do not participate in semester reporting lean into the consultancy itself: placement support, recommendations, and outlined course plans for each student. Families who register for the Transcript Option and participate in the semester reporting process also have their materials reviewed by St. Thomas Aquinas Academy before the values go on the student’s official transcript. In both cases, the teaching-parent remains the head of the homeschool.

Who is responsible for meeting my state’s homeschool requirements?

The parents. All families are responsible for following the educational codes that govern homeschooling in their own state, and HSLDA is the right guide to what those codes require.

What St. Thomas Aquinas Academy provides is the academic side of the work: placement, help setting up your homeschool, the content of courses, and a program customized to your individual students. Our planning forms and scheduling advice are designed with typical state expectations in mind, such as instructional hours, school days, and a reasonable course of study, so the records you build with us tend to serve you well when it comes to filing. What your particular state requires, though, is a legal question, and for that we refer you to HSLDA.

What do I put on my state’s form?

Please do not list St. Thomas Aquinas Academy as your child’s school of record; your homeschool is its own school, and you are its administrator. If your state asks you to name your homeschool, the name belongs to your family, not to the Academy.

It is our general understanding that when a state form offers options for the type of homeschooling you are registering, most of our families should register as independent homeschoolers. The exact wording and definitions vary by state, so verify them against the form itself and against HSLDA or another legal expert qualified to give such advice. A few states offer a registration path under an umbrella or cover school; St. Thomas Aquinas Academy is not an umbrella or cover school, and HSLDA can advise you on those state-specific options.

How many school hours or school days must my student complete?

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy encourages all students to complete at least 1,080 school hours per academic year. A school hour consists of formal, directed academic activity and instruction.

Some states parse this out into school days instead, often requiring something around 180 school days per academic year, and their definitions of a school day vary. Some count as little as three and a half hours of formal, structured academic activity as a school day. To our understanding, that floor satisfies most states’ requirements for a primary school education, and it is a sensible starting place for the youngest students: a grammar school student’s short lessons should grow gradually year by year toward the fuller school day.

By high school, three and a half hours a day is no longer sufficient for a reasonable course of study. High school students are always encouraged to complete five to six hours of formal, structured academic activity and instruction per school day, for 180 school days per academic year. The arithmetic agrees: 1,080 hours across 180 days comes to six hours a day. As always, check your own state’s definitions and requirements against HSLDA’s guide for your state.

Should I call my school district with questions?

The staff at your local public school or school district will be knowledgeable about how to submit forms within their own system, and they are the right people to ask about the mechanics of submission. In our experience, though, they are generally not as knowledgeable as the HSLDA attorneys who specialize in homeschool law about what the educational code actually requires of homeschooling families. For the content of the paperwork, and for your rights and obligations under the code, we find it best to consult HSLDA first.

It is also well worth asking fellow independent homeschoolers at your local parish what they do with the state and district paperwork. They often have practical, current experience with your particular school district and can save you a good deal of trial and error.

What if my state’s requirements change?

Laws do change, and states differ widely: some require very little paperwork, while others are quite rigorous in their expectations. This is one more reason we recommend registering with HSLDA. Their legal resources are researched and updated regularly, and their newsletter is an easy way to stay abreast of what is happening in your state from year to year.

How does St. Thomas Aquinas Academy help me stay on track?

Everything we build with your family doubles as good documentation. Placement support and outlined course plans give each student a clear, reasonable course of study. For high school families, our semester reporting process, outlined on our Diploma Program page, shows how a student earns a diploma from St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and how thorough the paperwork is along the way: we work together to develop a strong transcript that documents the student’s academic journey.

If you are considering enrollment, we would love to meet you. Visit our Annual Enrollment page or schedule a free Enrollment Questions Consultation with an Advisor. And remember: your welcome packet includes a discount code for registering with HSLDA.

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