According to Kentucky Statute 159.010, “each parent, guardian, or other person residing in the state and having in custody or charge any child who has entered the primary school program or any child between the ages of six (6) and sixteen (16) shall send the child to a regular public day school for the full term that the public school of the district in which the child resides is in session or to the public school that the board of education of the district makes provision for the child to attend. A child’s age is between six (6) and sixteen (16) when the child has reached his or her sixth birthday and has not passed his or her sixteenth birthday.” Children can begin primary school at age five, but only if their 5th birthday is on or before August 1 of the current school year. A four-year-old who will turn five by August 1 can enroll in primary school.

Homeschooling your child is one option for meeting Kentucky’s compulsory school attendance requirements (KRS 159.030). This option is based on Section 5 of the Kentucky Constitution that grants parents the right to choose the formal education for their child. According to the Kentucky Department of Education, “Over thirty years ago, the Supreme Court of Kentucky determined that the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) may not prescribe standards for homeschooling. Kentucky classifies homeschools as non-public schools; therefore, the laws relating to non-public schools also apply to homeschools. KDE does not accredit or certify homeschools and does not provide any financial assistance.”