Minnesota families homeschool under the state's “non-public school” framework. Parents file an initial report with the local district, submit a brief annual letter, and follow basic recordkeeping and assessment rules.
Legal framework
Home schools operate under Minnesota Statutes §120A.22 and §120A.24. The Minnesota Department of Education's non-public schools page publishes current guidance and forms.
Notification & registration
Parents file an initial Letter of Intent to Homeschool with the local superintendent by October 1 of the first year, and a brief annual report each subsequent year.
Recordkeeping
Minnesota requires home schools to teach specified subject areas, maintain documentation showing the program is being taught, and assess each child annually with a nationally normed standardized achievement test. Test results are kept by the parent.
Graduation requirements
Minnesota does not prescribe specific graduation requirements for home-school students. The parent determines completion. Aligning the transcript with the Minnesota public high school graduation requirements is a useful reference.
Who issues the diploma
The parent operating the home school issues the diploma in the name of the family's home school.
College & military recognition
Minnesota State system institutions and the University of Minnesota system admit home-school graduates routinely. Homeschool graduates qualify for Tier 1 military enlistment under current DoD policy.
Official source
For current statutory text, forms, and procedural updates, the authoritative source is the Minnesota Department of Education. Homeschool laws change, so confirm specific requirements directly with the state before relying on them.