Homeschooling in Alabama

The Alabama law, in plain English — and how Larose Christian Academy keeps your family covered.

📌 The short version

Alabama’s church school model is the cleanest legal path: enroll with a church school, and the school handles state filings. Parents choose curriculum and teach.

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Exactly what to do (and in what order) to switch your child to homeschooling in Alabama — without accidentally creating an unexcused-absence problem. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

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Compulsory Attendance

Ages 6 to 17 (a parent may defer a 6-year-old by written notice until age 7, and the church school exemption in Section 16-28-3(a) is expressly limited to children prior to their 16th birthday)

Notification / Registration

Parents enroll in a church school. The parent files an enrollment/attendance form with the local public school superintendent (Ala. Code §16-28-7); the church school administrator countersigns it. No parent-level registration with the state Department of Education.

How a Cover School Helps

Under Alabama Code §16-28-1, a church school covers the family legally, and a statutory church school must be operated as a ministry of a local church, group of churches, denomination or association of churches, receiving no state or federal funding. The church school administrator countersigns the enrollment form the parent files with the local superintendent (Ala. Code §16-28-7) and maintains enrollment records.

Curriculum

No state-mandated curriculum for church school students.

Attendance

Church schools set their own calendar; instruction is expected during the school year.

Records & Testing

The church school maintains enrollment and attendance records. No state testing required for church school students.

Teacher Requirements

No state requirements on the church school route: parents direct the education. The separate private tutor route does require a state certificate and 140 days of instruction.

Official sources

Informational only — not legal advice. Laws change, and this summary may not be perfect. Please double-check what we wrote against your state's education department or the linked statutes before relying on it.

Want Alabama families to be legally covered — the easy way?

Enroll with Larose Christian Academy. We handle the school-of-record side, file what needs filing, and issue official report cards and transcripts.