According to Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-6-3001, “Every parent, guardian or other legal custodian residing within this state having control or charge of any child or children between six (6) years of age and seventeen (17) years of age, both inclusive, shall cause the child or children to attend public or nonpublic school.” This requirement does not apply to any child who “is six (6) years of age or younger and whose parent or guardian has filed a notice of intent to conduct a home school with the director of the LEA or with the director of a church-related school; or a student enrolled in a home school who has reached seventeen (17) years of age.”

Per the Tennessee Department of Education, “Parents in Tennessee may choose to homeschool their own children in grades K – 12. The Tennessee Home School law (Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-6-3050) states: “A home school is a school conducted or directed by a parent or parents or a legal guardian or guardians for their own children.”

Parents have three options for homeschooling in Tennessee:

• Independent Home School: Parents homeschool their own children (see details below).
• Church-Related Umbrella School: “By authority of the same statute, parents may also home school their own children by registering with a church-related “umbrella” school defined by Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-50-801. Parents who choose this option will be required to provide evidence to the local school district that their child is enrolled in a church-related school. An Intent to Home School form is not required for students who enrolled in a church-related school. The church-related school will determine record keeping and test requirements for students enrolled in an umbrella program” (Tennessee Department of Education).
• Accredited Online School: “Parents may also enroll their child in an accredited online school. Parents choosing this educational option must be sure to determine that the school has legitimate accreditation status and will be required to provide evidence to the local school district that their child is enrolled in an accredited online school” (Tennessee Department of Education).

Parents choosing to homeschool should begin by contacting their local school district’s Home School Coordinator (list is provided on the Home Schooling in Tennessee page on the Tennessee Department of Education website).

What do I need to be eligible to be a homeschool parent?

A parent homeschooling a child in Tennessee must hold a high school diploma or GED. Note that “in the event of the illness of a parent-teacher, or at the discretion of the parent-teacher, a tutor, having the same qualifications that would be required of a parent-teacher teaching the grade level or course, may be employed by the parent-teacher” (TCA § 49-6-3050).

Do I need to notify the school district of my intent to homeschool my child?

Yes! Independent home school families must “provide annual notice to the local director of schools prior to each school year of the parent-teacher’s intent to conduct a home school and, for the purpose of reporting only, submission to the director of schools of the names, number, ages and grade levels of the children to be homeschooled, the location of the school, the proposed curriculum to be offered, the proposed hours of instruction and the qualifications of the parent-teacher” (Tennessee Department of Education).

“The cutoff date for registering to homeschool has been removed from the home school law. A parent should be allowed to withdraw their child from the public school and register for home school at any point in the school year” (Tennessee Department of Education).

What educational options are available to my homeschooler?

Independently homeschooled students may be able to take classes at a public school under certain conditions. “In the case of special needs courses, such as laboratory sciences, vocational education, special education, for example, premises approved by the local director of schools may be used” (TCA § 49-6-3050).