Homeschooling Basics

The information in these pages has been compiled from various sources including newsletters, magazines and the internet. It is not necessarily a complete list of resources, programs or contacts, and it is not intended to be legal advice.

California Education Code calls for compulsory attendance for children between the ages of 6 and 18. If your child turns 6 by December 2nd, they must be enrolled in a public school or receiving an education through alternative means. Your alternatives are:

You may enroll in a private school.

Nothing in our law prevents an individual family from starting a private school in their own home with parents as teachers.
If you do not want to create your own private school, some existing private schools offer indepedent study programs.

You may contact local public schools, including public charters, to inquire about independent study programs.

You may hire a tutor.

FILING A PRIVATE SCHOOL AFFIDAVIT

For information on creating a private school in your own home for your own children, go to our Private School Affidavit page.

ALTERNATIVES TO FILING A PRIVATE SCHOOL AFFIDAVIT

If you do not want to create a a private school, here are some other ways to comply with compulsory attendance law.

Hire a tutor who holds a valid California state credential.

Enroll in a private school independent study program. A list of some private schools offering independent study can be found on Anne Zeise's web site and on the Home Education Magazine web site.

Enroll in a public school independent study program. Check our Public School Page or contact your local support group for referrals to programs like these in your area. Some public charter schools also offer independent study programs. Contact your local support group for referrals, or check the CDE web site or Homefires web site.

If your child is having trouble in public school, and you would like to find resources within the public school system to assist you, we've compiled a list of contact information for the South Bay and surrounding areas. These are not all homeschool resources. They are continuation and alternative schools and counseling services for the South Bay. Public School and Community Resources.

The entire California Code can be found here www.leginfo.ca.gov. To access the code you wish to read, search for the section number highlighted below.

Relevant portions of the California Education Code

33190 -Filing an affidavit. 33191 and 44237 are also referred to in this section
44237 -Fingerprinting/Criminal Record Checks
48415 -Affidavit required for exemption from compulsory attendance
48200 -Compulsory Full-Time Education
48220 -Exemptions to Compulsory Education
48222 -Attendance
48224 -Tutoring rules
49068 -Requesting and forwarding cumulative files
51210 -Branches of Study
51220 -Areas of STudy for grades 7-12
51220.5 -States Compelling Interest and Parenting Course Requirements for grades 7-8
51221 -Social Science Requirements
51222, 51223 -Physical Education Requirements
51225.3 -High School Requirements
51745 -Temporary Independent Study
51852 -Driver's Education

Relevant portions of the California Health and Safety Code

121525 -TB Testing
120335, 120365, 120370, 120375 -Immunizations