Legal/Homeschool Laws
Laws that regulate home education vary from state to state. It is important to understand the legal requirements in your state and to be aware of legislative and other legal issues that affect homeschoolers in your community. We've compiled resources that will help you become informed. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and the vast majority of homeschoolers face no problems, you may find that you need legal assistance at some point in your homeschooling career. We've compiled a list of resources to help you find the support you need. And if you'd like to become more involved in working towards homeschooling freedoms, we discuss some of the issues facing homeschoolers that we hope you find compelling.
State Laws
Read the laws regulating home education in Nebraska and browse through the case law and legal opinions relating to those laws, along with government publications relating to homeschooling and summaries of the laws.
Forms
Which forms do you need to fill out? Where can you get them? Here is a list of useful forms for homeschooling in Nebraska.
Legal Support
If you need legal information or have run into a legal situation regarding your decision to homeschool, these resources will be helpful.
Lobbying Groups
A listing of local and national lobbying groups and information on how you can become involved in the political process to ensure the freedom to homeschool is protected.
Attorneys
When searching for an attorney, it is helpful to know whether he or she has experience working with homeschoolers and is interested in protecting the right to homeschool.
Legal Issues
Is homeschooling legal? Which laws pertain to homeschoolers and which don't? How do homeschoolers protect their rights to freely educate their children and to preserve their privacy?
Government Resources
A listing of local and state government resources, including your state's Department of Education, school districts, and Senate and House of Representative information.
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Colorado Statute 25-4-901
This statute relates to state of Colorado school entry immunization requirements.
Colorado Home School Laws
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Colorado. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Colorado.
Colorado Statute 22-33-104.5
The general assembly hereby declares that it is the primary right and obligation of the parent to choose the proper education and training for children under his care and supervision. It is recognized that home-based education is a legitimate alternative to classroom attendance for the instruction of children and that any regulation of nonpublic home-based educational programs should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate a variety of circumstances. The general assembly further declares that no...
The Importance of Recordkeeping in Colorado: Best Practices for What Records to Keep
Good records equip your student with proof of education for continuing their education, entering the military, or passing an employer’s background check. It may also prove valuable if there are ever any questions about your homeschool.
43-2007 Schools; home school; duties.
(1) Upon notification by the patrol of a
missing person, any school in which the missing person is
currently or was previously enrolled shall flag the school
records of such person in such school's possession. The school
shall report immediately any request concerning a flagged record
or any knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing person.
(2) Upon enrollment of a student for the first time in
a public school district or private school system, the sch...
How to Comply with Colorado's Homeschool Law
In Colorado, there are three options under which you can legally homeschool. You are free to choose the option that best meets your family’s needs. These options include homeschooling under Colorado's homeschool statute, homeschooling with an independent school, and homeschooling with a certified teacher.
Rule 12
Regulations and procedures for exempting schools for which parents elect not to meet legal requirements for school approval and accreditation for other than religious reasons. Rule 12 affidavits state that the requirements for school approval and accreditation required by law interfere with the decisions of the parents or legal guardians in directing their child's education.
79-1601 Private, denominational, or parochial schools, teachers, and employees; laws applicable; election not to meet accreditation or approval requirements.
(1) Except as provided in subsections (2)
through (6) of this section, all private, denominational, and
parochial schools in the State of Nebraska and all teachers
employed or giving instruction in such schools shall be subject
to and governed by the provisions of the general school laws of
the state so far as the same apply to grades, qualifications, and
certification of teachers and promotion of pupils. All private,
denominational, and parochial schools shall ha...
House Joint Resolution 05-1040
Recognition of April 8, 2005, as Home Education Day in Colorado.
79-211 Minimum school term.
The school term shall not be less than (1) one
thousand thirty-two instructional hours for elementary grades and
(2) one thousand eighty instructional hours for high school
grades in any public school district or private, denominational,
or parochial school. If any district which receives twenty
percent or more of its total receipts for general fund purposes
from federal sources fails to actually receive receipts
anticipated at the time of the adoption of the sc...
79-214 Admission of children; kindergarten or beginner grade; age; evidence of physical examination; when; exception.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of
this section, the school board of any school district shall not
admit any child into the kindergarten or beginner grade of any
school of such school district unless such child has reached the
age of five years or will reach such age on or before October 15
of the current year.
(2) The board may admit a child who will reach the age
of five between October 16 and February 1 of the current school
year if the parent or g...
Colorado Statutes - Complete Text
Online access to complete text of Colorado statutes. Those pertaining to home education include: 22-33-104 (Compulsory school attendance); 22-33-104.5 (Home-based education - legislative declaration - definitions - guidelines); 22-7-409, 1.2-d-III (Assessments); and 22-32-116.5 (Extracurricular and interscholastic activities).
Synopsis of Nebraska Education Statutes Applicable to Home Education
This summary of the statutes relating to home education are provided by Nebraska Christian Home Educators Association (NCHEA).
Compulsory School Age in Colorado
Colorado law requires that every child who is 6 years old on or before August 1 of the current school year, and under the age of 17, must attend school. If a homeschool is operating under Colorado’s home education statute (Option 1), the parents may wait to begin actual instruction until their child is 7 years old; however, they must still submit a notice of intent beginning with the school year that the child turns 6 by August 1.
Northern Colorado Homeschool Association
Northern Colorado Homeschool Association (NCHA) is a non-profit group for homeschooling parents and children of all ages. The majority of our families live along the Northern Colorado Front Range (Fort Collins, Windsor, Loveland Area). We are an inclusive, secular, eclectic, local, member-run organization that honors the diversity of homeschoolers and provides a supportive community for our members.
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Featured Resources
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Miserly Moms: Living on One Income in a Two-Income Economy
Save Thousands of Dollars a Year Jonni McCoy and her family are proof that you live on one income. The McCoys made a successful transition from two incomes to one while living in one of the most expensive parts of America: the San Francisco Bay Area...
Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book Of Homeschooling
The classic work on teaching children at home, updated for today's new laws, new lifestyles, and a new generation of homeschooling parents. Today more than one and a half million children are being taught at home by their own parents. In this expand...
Catholic Homeschool Companion
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Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning : A Story for Mother Culture
Karen Andreola, renowned interpreter of the Charlotte Mason method of education, has written a unique sort of book in the homeschool world. Pocketful of Pinecones is a teacher s guide the nature study cleverly disguised as a heartwarming story writte...
MCP PLAID Phonics
MCP PLAID Phonics from Modern Curriculum Press incorporates best practices for teaching essential phonemic awareness and phonics skills with lots of flexibility. Find information on these products here.