Homeschool Regulations in Hawaii

Take a look at some regulations families to need to know about before they start homeschooling in Hawaii.

Home School Parent Education Requirements

Hawaii legally allows parents to choose to homeschool their children or to become involved in an appropriate alternative education program. This program must be approved by the local school superintendent. For homeschooling, the parent or guardian is not required to have any specialized educational training, but the person in charge of an alternative educational program must have a baccalaureate degree.

Forms and Paperwork Required

In an alternative educational program, no special paperwork is required to complete. For homeschooling, a written notice of intent must be filed with the principal of the school whose boundaries that you reside in. This must be submitted before homeschooling may start. There is no need to resubmit this letter annually after that.

This letter must include the parent’s signature as well as the name, birth date, address, telephone number, and grade level of the child involved. Records must also be kept that indicate the curriculum that is covered, the number of hours a week that school is in session, a list of textbooks and materials used, the start and end dates of that year’s schooling instruction, and the method that is used to determine that the student has reached mastery on all any given material. If and when homeschooling is terminated, the local principal must be notified within five days.

Kindergarten Home School Requirements

Compulsory school attendance begins at the age of six in Hawaii, so kindergarten is entirely optional in a home school setting.

Testing Requirements

Participating in an alternative education program requires that the student take part in the statewide testing program at the local school. Homeschooled children must take a standardized achievement test that is chosen by the parent in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Also, every year an annual report of the child’s progress must be submitted to the local principal. This report could be standardized test results, a written evaluation completed by a certified teacher, or a written evaluation completed by the parent.

Other Useful Information

Hawaii law only allows HSLDA membership to those students who are primarily schooled by their parents and not involved in some form of private schooling. Home school curriculum needs to include information that is up to date and relevant for that particular child. English, math, reading, social studies, and science may all be part of that chosen curriculum. You may find Christian Home Schoolers of Hawaii to be a useful support organization for all of your homeschooling needs