Homeschooling in Montana

Montana grants broad rights to homeschool parents under MCA 20-5-111: 'parents who provide a homeschool have both the right and responsibility to direct their child's education.' Parents are SOLELY responsible for educational philosophy, curriculum, time/place/method of instruction, and evaluation. Notification is to the elected COUNTY Superintendent (NOT local district). ⚠️ MAJOR 2025 CHANGE: HB 778, signed May 13, 2025, ELIMINATED the requirements that homeschoolers provide immunization records upon request and 'be housed in a building that complies with applicable local health and safety regulations.' This further reduced government oversight of Montana homeschools. Compulsory ages 7-16.

Legal framework at a glance

Legal options: One pathway — Home School under Montana Code Annotated 20-5-109.

Notification: ANNUAL Notification of Intent to County Superintendent (NOT local district) before the first day of public school each year. No mandated form — letter, phone, or in-person all acceptable..

Instructional time: Tiered hour requirement: 720 hours for grades 1-3, 1,080 hours for grades 4-12 per school fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). Kindergarten: 260 hours half-time / 720 hours full-time..

Required subjects: 5 required subjects: reading/language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and the arts (organized course of study under MCA 20-7-111)..

Testing and evaluation: NO state-mandated testing. No standardized assessment required. No reporting of progress..

What Montana families need to know

**ANNUAL NOTIFICATION TO COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT** (MCA 20-5-109): file each school fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). Should be delivered to the ELECTED COUNTY Superintendent of Schools, NOT your local school district. Submit before the first day of public school. NO mandated form — you may use the County Superintendent's form OR send your own letter, OR notify by phone (written recommended).

**4 KEY REQUIREMENTS** under MCA 20-5-109(2): (a) Notify County Superintendent annually; (b) Maintain attendance records and make them available to County Superintendent ON REQUEST; (c) Provide minimum aggregate hours of instruction per MCA 20-1-301 and 20-1-302; (d) Provide an organized course of study including subjects required of public schools per MCA 20-7-111.

**HB 778 OF 2025** (effective May 13, 2025, signed by Governor Gianforte): ELIMINATED two former requirements — (1) homeschoolers no longer must provide immunization records upon request; (2) homeschoolers no longer must 'be housed in a building that complies with applicable local health and safety regulations.' Significant deregulation.

**Tiered hour requirement** (under MCA 20-1-301 and 20-1-302):

• Grades 1-3: minimum 720 hours per school fiscal year (about 4.2 hours/day across 170 days)

• Grades 4-12: minimum 1,080 hours per school fiscal year (about 6.4 hours/day across 170 days)

• Half-time kindergarten: 260 hours / Full-time kindergarten: 720 hours

**5 required subjects** under MCA 20-7-111: reading/language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and the arts. NOT submitted to anyone — just kept as your organized course of study.

**No curriculum submission**: County or education officials should NOT request access to your curriculum. There is no obligation to submit your hours to any authority.

**Hour records cannot be requested by County Superintendent**: per Homeschool Montana, only ATTENDANCE records can be requested — not hour-by-hour or curriculum logs.

**Notification covers EXEMPTION FROM COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE for the CURRENT YEAR ONLY**. Until notification is filed, the child is NOT exempt and could be deemed truant after 10 days into the school district's year.

**Prior year attendance records**: there is NO requirement under Montana law to provide prior year records. Some County Superintendents have requested them — this is not legally required.

**Sports access**: Montana grants homeschool students access to public school athletics and extracurricular activities. Activities are administered by the Montana High School Association (MHSA).

**Special Needs Equal Opportunity ESA**: families with special needs students may sign up for this ESA. Limited program.

**Tax credit scholarship program** (since 2016): Montana has a tax credit scholarship for nonpublic school tuition. Generally for traditional private schools, not homeschoolers, but worth investigating.

**No state homeschool ESA**: most homeschool funding is private/family-funded.

Compulsory attendance: ages 7-16 (with exceptions).

Always verify current requirements with the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) before filing any official paperwork. State rules can change.

Diploma recognition

Montana homeschool parents issue their own diplomas. The state does NOT issue homeschool diplomas. Montana public colleges (University of Montana, Montana State, MSU Billings) accept homeschool transcripts. Strong ACT/SAT scores significantly strengthen applications. Document courses thoroughly. The HiSET diploma is recognized by the State of Montana and most employers/colleges as a high school equivalency — available for graduates who need a state-recognized credential. Montana Coalition of Home Educators provides graduation ceremony information.

Getting started in Montana

If you are new to homeschooling in Montana, here is the practical sequence to follow:

1. Read the statute. Visit the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) website and read the current homeschool regulations in full. The summary on this page is a starting point, but the official statute is the final authority.
2. Choose your legal pathway. Montana offers specific options described above. Choose the one that fits your family before you file anything.
3. Prepare your notification. Gather the information required for your notice or registration — child's name, date of birth, address, subjects, curriculum plans, and anything else your chosen pathway requires.
4. File before withdrawing. If your child is currently in public school, file your homeschool notification before you send the withdrawal letter to the school. See our withdrawal guide for the full process.
5. Set up your record-keeping system. Even in low-regulation states, keep attendance records, a list of curriculum used, and samples of your child's work. See our record-keeping guide for what to save and how.
6. Connect with a local homeschool organization. Montana has active statewide homeschool organizations (listed below) and usually several local co-ops in each region. These are your best source of current, practical information.

Montana homeschool organizations

The following organizations provide advocacy, support, and current information for Montana homeschool families:

• Homeschool Montana — Statewide inclusive 501(c)(3) homeschool organization — homeschoolmt.com
• Montana Coalition of Home Educators (MCHE) — Statewide network with detailed compliance guidance — mtche.org
• HSLDA Montana — Legal defense and member support

Local homeschool co-ops often meet in libraries, churches, and community centers throughout the state. A search for "Montana homeschool co-op [your city]" typically surfaces groups meeting near you. The statewide organizations listed above maintain co-op directories.

Beyond the legal requirements

Meeting Montana's legal requirements is only the foundation. The day-to-day work of homeschooling — choosing a curriculum, teaching multiple children at different levels, building a transcript — is the larger task. Once your legal compliance is in order, explore the rest of this site:

Homeschool360 • Montana State Guide