MICHIGAN HOMESCHOOL LAW

Compulsory School Age: 6 - 16

Michigan state law offers two legal homeschooling options: 1) establish and operate a homeschool program or 2) operate a homeschool as a nonpublic school.

1. The first legal homeschooling option in Michigan is to establish and operate a homeschool program.  Children are required to study reading, spelling, math, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar.  There are no requirements regarding attendance, parent/teacher qualifications, school board notice, recordkeeping or reporting, or testing under this option.

2. The second option is to operate a homeschool as a nonpublic school.  Homeschools operating under this option must complete and submit the Nonpublic School Membership Report to the Department of Education at the start of each school year.  Teachers must be certified (with the exception of claiming a religious exemption) and must prepare a curriculum "comparable to those taught in the public schools."  Required records consist of enrollment records, curriculum, and teacher qualifications.  These records must be made available to the Department of Education upon request.  No attendance policies or testing requirements exist for this option.

Find a homeschool group in Michigan.

View these websites for more information about Michigan homeschool laws:

• Home School Legal Defense Association

• National Home Education Network

• Michigan Education Code for Homeschooling

• Michigan Department of Education

Please note: This is a brief summary of Michigan homeschool law and is presented for informative purposes only and not as legal advice.