Kansas

Parents may operate a homeschool as a Non-Accredited Private School. Parents must register once with the state Board of Education, and must provide instruction for a period of time “substantially equivalent” to that of public schools. Parents must be “competent,” but state officials have no authority to determine a parent’s competency. There are no subject, bookkeeping or assessment requirements.

Private School

Kansas does not specifically designate homeschools by state statute. Parents may operate a homeschool as a Non-Accredited Private School (NAPS) or parochial school. See Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-43.

Notification

Parents must register the name and address of their homeschool with the State Board of Education once, but . Annual notice is not required. See Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-4345 through § 72-4347 and § 72-3120.

Qualifications

The teacher must be “competent.” However, the local school board has no authority to determine a parent’s competency. See Kansas State Department of Education Fact Sheet and Kan. Attorney General Opinion 75-409.

Days Or Hours

Instruction must be provided “for a period of time which is substantially equivalent to the period of time public school is maintained,” or 186 days of not less than 6 hours per day. See Kansas State Department of Education.

Subjects

None. However, instruction must be planned and scheduled and periodic testing must occur. See In re Sawyer 672 P.2d 1093 (1983) and Kansas Attorney General Opinion No. 85-159 (1985). The Kansas State Department of Education recommends graduation requirements for NAPS to include 4 units of English Language Arts, 3 units of History and Government, 3 units of Science, 3 units of Mathematics, 1 unit of Physical Education, 1 unit of Fine Arts, and, 6 units of Electives,” but these are not mandatory.

Bookkeeping

None. However, the Kansas State Department of Education recommends that “Accurate and complete records of students attending NAPS should be kept in the event that the student transfers to a public or an accredited school, applies to a post-secondary institution or enters the Armed Services.”

Assessment

None.

Intervention

None.

Other

n/a

Services Available to Homeschooled Students

Part-Time Enrollment

Whether or not to allow homeschooled students to enroll in individual public school classes is up to the school district.

Athletics

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) requires student athletes to be “bona fide” students at the school they represent. See KHSHAA Handbook.

Disabilities

Homeschooled students with disabilities have access to testing in their local public schools, and may also have access to services offered through these schools.

Other

n/a

Background:

In the early 1980s, the Sawyer family organized began to educate their children at home, registering their homeschool as a private school with the state. In In re Sawyer, 672 P.2d 1093 (Kan. 1983), the court found that the Sawyer’s homeschool did not qualify as a homeschool because the instruction was unplanned and unscheduled. In In re Jost, No. 84-JC-88 (Marion County Dist. Ct. 1985) the courts found that Kim and Constance Jost’s homeschool counted as a legitimate private school. In In re Willms, No. 87-JC-350 (Shawnee County Dist. Ct., Feb. 12, 1988) the courts found that the Willms family homeschool, which operated as a “satellite” of an existing private school, was within the law.