Alabama Homeschool Deadlines & Calendar

Initial filing deadline

Upon initial enrollment in the church school

Send to

umbrella school (which files with local superintendent)

Ala. Code 16-28-7 (church school enrollment form filed once with local superintendent)

These deadlines are for Church School / Cover School / Umbrella School. Alabama offers 3 pathways, and each may have different deadlines:

• •
  Church School / Cover School / Umbrella School(this page): You enroll with an umbrella school (also called a church school or cover school), which handles all state reporting on your behalf. Alabama does not mandate specific subjects, hours, or testing for families under this pathway — your umbrella school may set its own policies. This is by far the most popular homeschool pathway in Alabama.
• •
  Private Tutor: You hire a tutor who holds a valid Alabama teaching certificate to provide instruction at least 3 hours per day for 140 days per year. The tutor files a written statement with the local superintendent and must cover the same subjects taught in public schools. This pathway is rarely used because of the teaching certificate requirement.
• •
  Private School: You operate your home as a private school, filing annual enrollment reports with the Alabama State Department of Education and complying with fire, health, and safety codes. You must teach state-prescribed subjects and operate for approximately 180 days per year. This pathway involves more administrative overhead than the umbrella school option and is uncommon for individual families.

Our wizard calculates the right deadlines for your pathway. Compare all pathways for Alabama