We are planning to move to Missouri in the near future, and I wondered if anyone who lives there (particularly in Douglas or Ozark counties) would care to share information on homeschooling requirements in your state or county. We have always lived in an area where there is very little school board intervention. We can enroll our children under an "umbrella" private school, and have no questions asked whatsoever, or if we sign up as homeschoolers with the county school board, their only questions are: Where did the child attend school last year, and what grade is he or she in? That's it. But I have heard that Florida is about the most lenient state toward homeschoolers. (However, there are rumors that it will change.) How is it in Missouri?

-- Lela Picking (Stllwtrs55@aol.com), January 14, 2002

Answers

I'm not from Missouri, but found many useful sites relating to homeschooling in Missouri at www.google.com In the search line I just typed in "homeschool Missouri" up came pages of sites and message boards. Many of the sites had legal requirements etc. Another thing to try to find is a statewide group of homeschoolers in Missouri. They would know all the rules and regulations you need to know. If you cannot find anyone in Missouri, maybe this will suffice.

Another site that appears to be good. It deals with Missouri Homeschool support and legal information. It is at:

http://eho.org/support/missouri.htm

Hope this helps.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

Even though each state has laws (and the state is what you need to worry about), each district has different interpretations of said law.

One way to find out is to get the laws from the local state representative, as that is their job, to help you (if you have friends in Missouri right now have them ask for you). One would think that the district would be happy to give you the laws, but often they will make it difficult, because, hey, you're tampering with jobs here when you don't send your kids to school.

This website also has a wealth of info, and if you join (I think it is $100 per year) they will defend your right to homeschool. I am not a member (still deciding on homeschooling--one part of the equation not all that wild about it), but if we do homeschool, I would consider it money well spent.

http://www.hslda.org/default.asp

Hope this helps.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 14, 2002.

hey , all you got to do is look up missouri statutes online , and you can see the cold hard facts for yourself. and dont seem that bad. my slogan is "know the law , protect yourself"

-- s. nissley (nissley@adelphia.net), February 11, 2002.