A Louisville family that pulls a child out of Jefferson County Public Schools to homeschool has two weeks to tell the district in writing. That deadline comes from the Kentucky Department of Education's Homeschool Information Packet, dated May 2026, which says families must notify the local superintendent "within two weeks of withdrawal from the public school," or within the first two weeks of the school year if they start in August.

JCPS takes that notice through its Pupil Personnel office. Here's what the state requires, what the JCPS form asks for, and what changes when a homeschooled child wants back in.

How do you start homeschooling in Kentucky?

You create a school, then you tell the district. The KDE packet says to "establish a bona fide school" by giving your homeschool a name, and adds that a common method is putting "School" or "Academy" after the family's last name. There's no requirement to register the name like a business.

Kentucky treats a homeschool as a private school. The KDE packet cites KRS 159.030, the compulsory attendance exemption law, and says KDE "may not prescribe curriculum, teacher certification, or accreditation standards for homeschooling," citing a 1979 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling. KDE doesn't accredit homeschools and doesn't pay for them.

The JCPS Pupil Personnel section of the district's Success and Resilience page puts it the same way: a homeschool student is one "whom the family has withdrawn from public school pursuant to KRS 159.030 and chosen to educate through a private or home setting."

What has to be in the letter of intent?

Less than the JCPS form asks for. The KDE packet says the notice "must include the names, ages, and home address of each child in attendance of the homeschool." KDE includes a sample letter at the end of the packet.

The JCPS Home Schooling Notification form, labeled 09.111 AP.21 and last revised July 21, 2020, asks for more:

  • Each child's full legal name, age and birth date.

  • The parent or guardian's name.

  • The name of the homeschool.

  • Address, ZIP code, phone number and email.

  • A parent or guardian signature and date.

The form is addressed to Jefferson County Public Schools, Pupil Personnel/Home School, PO Box 34020, Louisville, Kentucky 40232.

Here's the part parents ask about. The KDE packet says, "The public school district is required to accept a homeschool notification letter." KDE's sample letter is a plain letter, not the JCPS form. JCPS doesn't say on its homeschool page whether it will take a letter in place of its form, so if you write your own, include everything the law requires and keep a copy. Using the district form avoids the question.

The JCPS form also says, "A substantially equivalent electronic form may be used by the District in lieu of this paper form." The district hasn't posted an online version on its homeschool page.

Do you have to send the letter every year?

Yes. The KDE packet says the notification "must be resubmitted annually," and the JCPS form has parents sign a line acknowledging it.

The JCPS form also asks families to notify the Home School office if they withdraw a child from homeschool during the year, and to tell the superintendent in writing if they move out of the district.

What records does a Kentucky homeschool have to keep?

Attendance and grades. The KDE packet says homeschools must keep attendance records "to demonstrate a bona fide school is in operation," in paper or digital form. KRS 159.040 says private schools must keep attendance and "scholarship reports" and be "open to inspection by directors of pupil personnel and officials of the Department of Education."

The KDE packet says scholarship reports should show the courses a student completed and the grade awarded. It recommends portfolios of work, test results or reports from online programs, and notes those help if a child later moves to a public school or college.

The JCPS form's summary page lists the subjects homeschool teachers are "required by state law" to teach: reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, math and civics. The KDE packet itself doesn't list required subjects. Science comes up there only in the credit rule for students who return to public school, so check the current packet if you want the state's full picture.

How many days does a homeschool have to run?

KDE separates certified and noncertified homeschools. The packet says certified homeschools must run at least 1,062 hours of instruction over no fewer than 170 student attendance days. It says there isn't a minimum term for noncertified homeschools, but KDE recommends meeting the same numbers.

The JCPS form says homeschool teachers must "provide no fewer student attendance days than required in current state law." The district hasn't posted a number on its own page.

Will JCPS check on a homeschool?

It can. The JCPS Pupil Personnel section says the department investigates nonattendance and enforces Kentucky's compulsory attendance law. Under KRS 159.040, homeschool records must be open to the district's director of pupil personnel.

The JCPS form describes a district procedure that's softer than an audit. The director of pupil personnel or a designee "will offer to meet with the home school teacher to review legal requirements," provide a best practice document, and "request a copy of the home school curriculum." If a meeting isn't possible, the form says the district mails the information packet.

Can a homeschooled child take JCPS classes or play sports?

That's a local decision. The KDE packet says participation in extracurricular activities "is governed at the local school district level." The JCPS form says homeschool students need a current immunization certificate before they attend even one class at a JCPS school or join a school sport or other school sponsored activity.

One door has closed. The JCPS eSchool home school page says that as of June 1, 2026, eSchool "will no longer be offering courses to students outside of JCPS," and that includes homeschool students.

Kentucky's No Pass No Drive law applies to homeschool students, according to the KDE packet. The JCPS Pupil Personnel section links No Pass No Drive information for homeschool students.

What happens if your child goes back to JCPS?

The school decides grade placement and credit. The JCPS form says that when a homeschooled child returns to the district, certified staff will "either place the student according to successful performance in courses that are sequential such as English, math, history, and science or conduct tests similar in nature and content to that used for other students receiving credit in that subject." It cites state regulation 704 KAR 3:307.

The KDE packet quotes the same regulation for high school credit. A student can earn credit from a nonaccredited school by passing a test like the one other students take, or by earning at least a C in the next course in a sequence "by the 12th week of school."

Kentucky doesn't have a statewide diploma. The KDE packet says homeschools issue their own and suggests students consider the GED.

Who do you call at JCPS about homeschooling?

The JCPS homeschool contact listed on the Pupil Personnel section is 502 485 3176 or jcps.homeschool@jefferson.kyschools.us. The main Pupil Personnel office is at the Lam Building, 4309 Bishop Lane, 502 485 3338.

If your child is still enrolled, the clock starts when you withdraw. Get the letter or form in the mail to PO Box 34020 within two weeks, and keep a dated copy.