Homeschooling in Montana: Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Montana fully recognizes homeschooling as a legal form of education. The requirements are minimal: file an annual notice of intent with your county superintendent, meet the minimum instructional hours, teach the required subjects, and keep attendance records. There's no standardized testing, no curriculum approval, and no teaching certification needed. Montana is considered one of the most homeschool-friendly states in the country.

→ See the full list of Montana homeschool requirements in our Getting Started Guide

No. Montana does not require homeschool families to use any particular curriculum. You have complete freedom to choose your materials, methods, and pace. Some families use a structured, all-in-one program. Others build their own plan from different publishers and free resources. Many start with one approach and change direction after a few months once they see what works.

→ Compare 87+ homeschool curricula in our Curriculum Finder

It depends on what you choose. Homeschool curriculum ranges from completely free (Khan Academy, Easy Peasy, Ambleside Online, MEP Math) to several hundred dollars per year (Sonlight, Oak Meadow). A lot of families spend between $200 and $600 per child per year on curriculum and materials. You can add to that with co-op fees, enrichment classes, and supplies, or you can keep costs low by using the library, free online resources, and secondhand curriculum.

No. Montana does not require any standardized testing or formal assessments for homeschooled students. Some families choose to use tests or progress check-ins for their own reference, but it's entirely optional. If your child plans to apply to college, they'll want to take the SAT or ACT, but that's a college admissions requirement, not a state homeschool requirement.

No. Montana has no teacher qualification requirements for homeschool parents. You don't need a teaching certificate, a college degree, or any special training. Plenty of families use curriculum guides, video instruction, online courses, and co-op classes to teach subjects they're less comfortable with. You don't have to be an expert in every subject. You just have to be willing to learn alongside your child.

This is the most common concern new homeschool families have, and for most families it stops being a worry within the first few months. Homeschooled kids in Montana socialize through co-ops, sports teams, music and art classes, scouting, church groups, community volunteering, and regular meetups with other homeschool families.

In the Gallatin Valley specifically, there are active homeschool co-ops, hybrid programs that meet multiple days per week, and a growing number of enrichment classes designed for homeschoolers. Many parents find that their kids actually have more meaningful social time than they did in a traditional school setting, because the interactions aren't limited to kids born in the same year.

→ Explore local homeschool programs and co-ops in the Gallatin Valley

Every child learns differently, and homeschooling lets you pay attention to that in a way that classroom settings can't. Rather than measuring progress by grade-level benchmarks alone, many homeschool families track growth through portfolios, narration, project work, and regular check-ins.

Some parents use optional standardized tests or placement assessments once a year to see where their child stands. Others keep a portfolio of student work and writing samples. The key is staying engaged with your child's progress and adjusting when something isn't clicking.

Absolutely. Homeschoolers are admitted to colleges and universities nationwide, including competitive schools. Montana's university system is homeschool-friendly, and many institutions have specific admissions pathways for homeschooled students.

To prepare, families create a transcript that outlines coursework, grades, projects, and extracurricular activities. Many homeschooled students also take dual-enrollment courses at a local community college or complete AP coursework to earn college credit early. Admissions offices are familiar with homeschool transcripts and often value the independence, self-direction, and initiative that homeschooled applicants bring.

That's okay. Homeschooling doesn't have to be permanent. Some families homeschool for a year or two before transitioning to a public school, private school, or hybrid program. Others try one approach, realize it's not working, and switch to something completely different. The flexibility to change course is one of the biggest advantages of homeschooling. You're not locked in.

Yes, and a lot of families do. It takes planning, but homeschooling can fit around a work schedule in several ways. Flexible scheduling means learning doesn't have to happen between 8 and 3. Older kids can handle more independent work while you're busy. Co-ops and shared teaching arrangements let families split subjects. Online and self-paced programs like Teaching Textbooks and Power Homeschool provide structure when a parent can't be actively teaching.

Some families school in the evenings or on weekends. Others concentrate schoolwork into three or four days. The 720-hour requirement for younger students works out to about 4 hours a day, which leaves room to fit homeschooling around a job.

Homeschooling can be a strong option for children with special needs, because it allows completely individualized instruction. You can adjust the pace, the materials, the environment, and the schedule to match your child's needs in ways that aren't possible in a classroom of 25 kids.

There are several avenues for support in Montana:

Public school special education services. Montana considers homeschooled students as privately placed students for purposes of special education access. That means your local school district may offer special education services to your homeschooled child for free. When you register as a homeschooler, you can contact your home district to ask what services are available and begin the process of developing a services plan. What's offered varies by district, so it's worth asking directly.

Part-time public school enrollment. HB396, passed in 2023, allows homeschooled students to enroll part-time in their local public school. That means your child can take specific classes or access specific services at the public school while continuing to homeschool for everything else.

Montana's Special Needs ESA (currently paused). In 2023, Montana created the Special Needs Equal Opportunity Education Savings Account program (HB393). It provided $5,000 to $8,000 per year to families of children with qualifying disabilities under IDEA (autism, learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, and others) to cover private schooling, tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and educational materials. About 2,400 families enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year. In December 2025, a district court judge ruled the program's funding mechanism unconstitutional. Currently enrolled families can continue receiving reimbursements through June 30, 2026, but no new applications are being accepted. The case has been appealed. The future of the program depends on further court action or legislative changes.

529 plan changes. As of July 2025, the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act expanded 529 plan withdrawals to cover homeschool expenses including curriculum, textbooks, online materials, tutoring, and educational therapies for students with disabilities. The annual K-12 withdrawal limit increased from $10,000 to $20,000 per student. Montana's ACHIEVE Montana 529 plan offers state tax deductions for contributions.

Beyond state programs, many families work with private therapists, use adaptive curriculum, or access online resources designed for specific learning differences. Programs like All About Reading and Logic of English are popular with families whose children have dyslexia. Hands-on, multi-sensory curricula work well for kids who struggle with traditional workbook approaches.

Montana has a growing homeschool community, especially in the Gallatin Valley. Co-ops, hybrid programs, enrichment classes, park day meetups, and Facebook groups all connect families. The Montana Coalition of Home Educators (MTCHE) is the statewide organization and a good starting point. Locally, Bozeman and Belgrade have several active groups.

We maintain a directory of local programs, co-ops, and resources for families in the Gallatin Valley area.

→ Explore Local Homeschool Programs

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→ Read Our Getting Started Guide