How Do I Begin Homeschooling My Child (in Mississippi)?

Maybe you’re thinking about homeschooling or have already decided that homeschooling your children is right for you and your family. If so, you’re probably wondering what the process looks like for enrollment as well as any legal requirements. Here is a glimpse into the homeschooling enrollment process for those who live in Mississippi.

Are you eligible for homeschooling your child in Mississippi?

State law requires children between the ages of 6 and 17 years old to be enrolled in school when residing in the state of Mississippi. There are no restrictions regarding a parent's level of education required to be allowed to homeschool their child.

Has your child already been enrolled in a public or private school?

If your child has already been enrolled in a school outside of the home, you'll need to formally withdraw them in order to begin homeschooling. Typically, the school in which they are enrolled should provide their preferred paperwork as well as information on how to withdraw from that particular school system.

However, it is also strongly recommended by the Mississippi Department of Education that parents wishing to homeschool their children in the state contact their local School Attendance Officer to receive the correct information and ensure they handle the transition properly.

As always, be sure to make copies of all paperwork, communications, and other documentation to have on hand whenever the need may arise.

What do I have to do when homeschooling my kid in Mississippi?

The first step, as mentioned above, will be to formally withdraw your child from their current school before filing your enrollment paperwork for homeschooling.

File Your Homeschool Enrollment Form by September 15th

The first step in beginning your homeschooling journey in Mississippi is to be sure that you've filed your Home School Certificate of Enrollment by September 15th of the current school year. Note that you also may not submit your form for enrollment until the previous school year has been completed.

Be sure to make a copy of your enrollment form, and it's also recommended that you send the forms via Certified Mail to require a signature confirming delivery.

You will need to file this form annually.

Choose a Curriculum

There are no strict requirements in Mississippi regarding the curriculum used when homeschooling a child. However, although it isn't entirely mandatory, you should still aim to meet the state DOE's standards regarding what students should know upon completion of certain grades in the event that your child may ever return to public school.

You should also keep meticulous records of lesson plans, assignments, testing, projects, and other applicable items pertaining to your child's education. This is also going to be important if your child ever needs to return to public or private school, and it will also help if they are interested in pursuing college later, if they intend to get a driver's license, and other similar instances.

Is That Seriously All?

Actually, yes. Homeschooling in Mississippi is far less strictly regulated by comparison to other states.

There are no mandatory curriculums or subjects, no required number of days for attendance, no rules regarding recordkeeping, no standardized testing required, and no regulations pertaining to a parent's level of education.

More information:

For more information regarding the expectations placed on students pertaining to the subjects and content they should be learning during their school years, a list of those criteria can be found here.

Download a copy of the state's Home School Certificate of Enrollment Form.

If you need to determine who the local School Attendance Officer for your area may be, check out the Mississippi DOE's Local SAO Contact List.

For more information regarding homeschool law in Mississippi, you may also want to read the State Board of Education's Home School Policy.

For more information on homeschooling in general, check out our Homeschooling page for more articles.