Montana Homeschool Reporting & Compliance: Annual Checklist

Montana’s homeschool law is simple, but you still need to stay compliant. There’s no quarterly reporting, no state review, and no formal approval process. But there are requirements: annual notification, hour logging, required subjects, and attendance records. Missing the notification deadline or failing to document hours can create legal complications. This checklist ensures you’re compliant every year.

Key Takeaways

• Annual notification to county superintendent is the primary compliance requirement
• You must meet grade-specific hour requirements (360-1,080 hours/year)
• Montana requires the same subjects as public school
• No mandatory testing, but you must document progress
• Keep records for at least 5 years

Montana Compliance Requirements (MCA 20-5-109)

What Montana requires:
1. Annual written notification to your county superintendent (due before September 1)
2. Required subjects: Same as public schools (language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, and others)
3. Grade-specific hours:
– K (half-day): 360 hours
– K (full-day) – Grade 3: 720 hours
– Grades 4-12: 1,080 hours
4. Attendance records: Days/hours of instruction logged
5. Progress documentation: Grades, work samples, or evidence that learning occurred

What Montana does NOT require:
– Curriculum approval
– Quarterly or annual reporting
– Mandatory standardized testing
– Teacher certification or qualifications
– Regular inspections or home visits
– Accreditation

Montana Homeschool Compliance Checklist

Use this checklist each school year to ensure compliance:

By September 1st:
– [ ] Obtain your county superintendent’s contact information
– [ ] Prepare and submit annual notification letter
– Student name and date of birth
– Grades being taught
– Intent to provide instruction in required subjects
– Statement about planned instruction hours per day/week
– [ ] Confirm notification was received (email confirmation or phone call)
– [ ] File copy of notification for your records

Throughout the school year:
– [ ] Log attendance/hours weekly or monthly
– Date(s) of instruction
– Hours per subject
– Cumulative total by subject
– [ ] Keep curriculum copies or descriptions
– [ ] Maintain work samples and assessments
– [ ] Document grades or progress
– [ ] Save any official transcripts (if using MTDA, co-op, or tutoring)

End of school year (by June):
– [ ] Calculate total hours per subject
– [ ] Verify you’ve met grade-level hour minimum
– [ ] Compile attendance record
– [ ] Finalize grades
– [ ] Write course descriptions
– [ ] Organize work samples in portfolio or filing system
– [ ] File annual records in labeled folder

Annually (can be any time, but do it):
– [ ] Update your transcript with current year’s courses and grades
– [ ] Back up digital files
– [ ] Review your homeschool approach: what worked? what didn’t?

The Notification Letter

The most critical compliance document is the annual notification to your county superintendent. It must be in writing (email is fine).

What to include:
– Student’s name and date of birth
– Grade level(s) you’re teaching
– That you intend to provide instruction in required subjects (language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health, and fine arts)
– Description of your planned learning arrangement (brief—you’re not asking approval)
– Statement about your planned hours per week

Example letter:

Dear [County Superintendent],

I am providing homeschool instruction to [Student Name], DOB [date], for the 2025-26 school year. I will be teaching:

• Grade 5
• Required subjects: Language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, health, and fine arts

I plan to provide approximately [20-30] hours per week of instruction, distributed across these subjects. I will maintain attendance records and documentation of academic progress in accordance with MCA 20-5-109.

Please confirm receipt of this notification.

Sincerely,
[Parent Name]
[Contact information]

---

Send to: County Superintendent’s office in the county where you live

Timing: Before September 1st (Montana requires notification before the school year begins)

Confirmation: Follow up if you don’t receive confirmation within 2 weeks. Keep proof that you notified the district.

Hour Requirements and Tracking

Grade-specific minimums:

Grade	Hours per year
K (half-day)	360
K (full-day) – Grade 1	720
Grades 2-3	720
Grades 4-12	1,080

How to verify you’re meeting requirements:

Simple spreadsheet tracking:
– Column: Date
– Column: Subject
– Column: Hours
– Column: Running total

End of June, your running total should be at least 1,080 hours (for grades 4-12).

Safer approach: Track weekly totals to monitor as you go. By February, grade 4-12 should have about 540 hours (halfway through year). If you’re short, you can adjust.

Important: You’re responsible for tracking. The district doesn’t check. But if there’s ever a question, you need documentation.

Required Subjects

Montana requires the same subjects as public schools:

• Language Arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening)
• Mathematics
• Science (physical, life, earth science)
• Social Studies (history, geography, civics, economics)
• Physical Education
• Health (often integrated with PE)
• Fine Arts (music, visual arts, theater, dance—can combine)

You don’t need separate courses for each. A unit study that covers language arts, social studies, and science simultaneously counts.

Example: “Colonial America unit study”
– Language Arts: Reading historical fiction, writing essays
– Social Studies: History of colonial period
– Science: Agriculture, living conditions (can incorporate)

This counts toward all three subjects.

Flexibility: You design how to deliver these subjects. Textbook, unit study, online curriculum, life experience—all are valid.

Progress Documentation

Montana requires documentation that learning occurred, but you determine the form.

What counts as progress documentation:
– Grades (letter or percentage)
– Work samples (tests, essays, projects)
– Narrative progress notes
– Standardized test results (if you use them)
– Your observations and notes
– Portfolio of work

You don’t need:
– Formal tests
– Specific assessment tools
– Professional evaluation
– Standardized testing

Document in whatever way you’ll maintain consistently. Many homeschoolers use:
– Grade sheet (spreadsheet of letter grades per course)
– Work sample collection (filed by subject)
– Written narrative notes (especially for younger kids)

Whatever you choose, be consistent and keep it.

Record Retention

Keep records for at least 5 years after you complete a grade.

Longer retention if:
– Your child might transition to traditional school (keep K-12 records until graduation)
– Your child will apply to college (keep high school records for 10+ years)
– There’s ever a legal question (keep everything in question)

Organize by year in labeled folders. Back up digital files.

Special Situations

Moving or transferring out of Montana: Keep your final year of Montana records. Your new state may want verification of compliance.

If questioned by district: You have the right to maintain your homeschool. If a superintendent questions your compliance, you can:
– Provide your notification letter (proof you notified)
– Provide hour logs and attendance records
– Provide course descriptions and progress documentation

If there’s a real concern, you can request a meeting. Bring your documentation.

If transferring to public school mid-year: Request transcript/records from your homeschool in writing. You create and provide these.

The Bottom Line

Montana compliance is straightforward: notify, track hours, document progress. You’re not dealing with state testing, curriculum approval, or quarterly reports. The burden is accountability to yourself—you must keep records because the state won’t be checking.

This is freedom. It’s also responsibility. Stay organized, keep the notification current, and log your hours. You’ll be compliant.

Annual Compliance Checklist Quick Version

September: Notify superintendent
Throughout year: Log hours, keep work samples, document grades
June: Calculate total hours, finalize records, file
Always: Keep records for 5+ years

That’s it. Simple law, simple compliance.

More homeschooling resources: Homeschooling by State (All 50 States) | Complete Montana Homeschooling Guide