Minnesota homeschool requirements and record-keeping, 2026-27
In Minnesota you report to your district superintendent by October 1 of the first school year after your child turns 7, or within 15 days of withdrawing from public school or moving districts. After that you send a letter of intent to continue by October 1 each year. Each year your child takes a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test that you and the superintendent agree on. You keep documentation that the required subjects are taught and that the tests were given. Minnesota sets no day or hour count.
What you file and when
- Child's name, birth date and address; tests to be used; each instructor's name; evidence of instructor qualification
To: Superintendent of the district where the child lives. When: By October 1 of the first school year after the child turns 7; within 15 days of withdrawing from public school after 7 or moving out of a district; by October 1 after a new district is established - Letter of intent to continue, plus any changes
To: District superintendent. When: By October 1 each school year
Dates to keep in mind
- Annual letter of intent / report due: October 1
What you keep
- Class schedules
- Copies of materials used for instruction
- Descriptions of methods used to assess achievement
- Proof the annual standardized tests were given
How long to keep it. The sources we read set no retention period. Keeping a record for at least a few years is a sensible habit.
Testing. Every year, a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test agreed with the superintendent. Results at or below the 30th percentile, or one grade level below, require a further evaluation for learning problems. Parents who are not licensed or supervised by a licensed teacher also assess any subjects the test does not cover.
Hours, days and subjects
- No fixed number of hours or days found in the sources we read.
- Compulsory attendance ages: 7 to 17
Subjects. Basic communication skills: reading, writing, literature, fine arts; Mathematics and science; Social studies: history, geography, economics, government, citizenship; Health and physical education.
Work out your hours for Minnesota with the free calculator.
Things people miss
- Test results are kept by you, not filed, but must be shown to the county attorney if a truancy or neglect case starts.
- The superintendent may offer an online form but cannot require electronic filing.
- Instructor qualification can simply be that the parent's child is tested each year (Subd. 10, clause 5).
- Children 16-17 for whom the first report was filed after 16 also need the annual letter and test.
Official sources
- Minn. Stat. § 120A.22 Compulsory instruction (Minn. Stat. § 120A.22)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18 - Minn. Stat. § 120A.24 Reporting (Minn. Stat. § 120A.24)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18
How Schoolkeeper helps
A twenty-second daily log, and then an export in the shape Minnesota asks for:
- An attendance record showing the days you taught.
- Minutes by subject, totalled for the year.
- A portfolio of work samples, photos and what they read, in date order.
Questions parents ask
What do I have to file to homeschool in Minnesota?
Child's name, birth date and address; tests to be used; each instructor's name; evidence of instructor qualification, to Superintendent of the district where the child lives. When: By October 1 of the first school year after the child turns 7; within 15 days of withdrawing from public school after 7 or moving out of a district; by October 1 after a new district is established. Letter of intent to continue, plus any changes, to District superintendent. When: By October 1 each school year.
What records do I keep for homeschooling in Minnesota?
Class schedules; Copies of materials used for instruction; Descriptions of methods used to assess achievement; Proof the annual standardized tests were given.
How many hours or days does Minnesota ask for?
Minnesota does not set a minimum number of hours or days in what we found.
Does Minnesota require testing or an evaluation?
Every year, a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test agreed with the superintendent. Results at or below the 30th percentile, or one grade level below, require a further evaluation for learning problems. Parents who are not licensed or supervised by a licensed teacher also assess any subjects the test does not cover.
This is a plain-English summary with its sources, not legal advice. Tell us if this is wrong.