How do we re-enroll in school?

January 3, 2021 9 Comments
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Many families made the decision to homeschool their children during the last year due to the pandemic. Now that hope of a return to normalcy is on the horizon with vaccines becoming available, a large percentage of emergency homeschoolers may be wondering how to return their children to school.

Will the homeschool work count?

For grades K-9, the answer is generally yes. However, it is highly unlikely that the school will actually look at the work your child did while homeschooling or ask any questions about it at all. 

Schools are big on keeping children grouped into grades by strict age cut-offs, so most likely your child will get placed into their grade without any placement tests. Towards the end of middle school or for entering high school, the school may require the student to take a placement test to determine their level for math or world languages classes.

Will my child receive high school credit for the homeschool work?

This is determined by the individual school and you should have that conversation with the school as soon as possible. Get the discussed plan on writing, just in case there are staffing changes before your child actually enrolls. Schools are not under any obligation to count credits from outside sources. It doesn’t matter if your child took an accredited class online or if you put together the most awesome class at home. 

Some schools may offer credit by examination, allowing the student to take the final exam of a class to prove that they know the material. Other schools may have the guidance counselor or department chairs evaluate the work your student did in homeschool. Worst case scenario, the school doesn’t transfer any homeschool classes and your child has to repeat the classes, maybe attend summer school; and their graduation date may be delayed.

How do I re-enroll my child?

Your local public school system has to take your children back, no matter how long or short your homeschooling adventure was. The actual process of re-enrolling is the same as when you enrolled your child in school the first time or as if you moved to a new school district. You contact the school and provide whatever information they need to verify guardianship, address, and medical history. If you are returning to the same school as pre-pandemic, you probably just need to sign that all the info is still the same.

If your children attended a private school, then you will probably have to reapply, unless you reach some agreement with the school before you left. Charter schools would be the most difficult to return to because of the application and lottery process.

If you are in Maryland or another state where you had to file a notice of intent to homeschool, you will need to let that office know that your child is returning to school once you have completed the re-enrollment process.

Other homeschooling FAQs:

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