Homeschool requirements · Tennessee
Homeschooling in Tennessee
Moderate paperwork · A notice and a yearly assessment or records check.
Homeschool independently (annual notice, 180 days of 4 hours, attendance, testing in grades 5, 7, and 9) or through a church-related umbrella school with its own requirements.
What Tennessee asks
| Notice | Annual notice of intent to the local director of schools (independent option) or enrollment in a church-related school. |
|---|---|
| Days and hours | 180 days, 720 hours a year, 4 hours a day |
| Subjects | Not specified |
| Assessment | Independent option: standardized tests in grades 5, 7, and 9 administered through the district. |
| Records to keep | Attendance records submitted at year end (independent option). |
| Parent qualification | High school diploma or GED (independent option). |
| Worth knowing | Most Tennessee families use the church-related school option, which sets its own reporting rules. |
Deadlines
Tennessee lets a family homeschool more than one way, and the paperwork differs by route. You pick the route once in the app and it tracks only those dates. Districts vary; the app lets you edit any of them.
Independent home school
Annual notice of intent to the local director of schools, 180 days of at least 4 hours, attendance records at year end, and standardized tests in grades 5, 7, and 9. Parent needs a high school diploma or GED.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of intent Notice · Mail it | When you start the school year | Local director of schools | Send before the school year begins, each year. |
| Year-end attendance report Report · Mail it | By the end of the school year | Local director of schools | 180 days of at least 4 hours. |
| Standardized test (grades 5, 7, 9) Assessment · Bring to a meeting | By the end of the school year (grades 5, 7, 9) | Administered through the district |
Church-related school
Enroll with a church-related umbrella school. The school files with the state and sets its own records and testing. The most common choice in Tennessee.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church-related school enrollment Notice · Mail it | Within -14 days of starting | Your church-related school | Enroll or re-enroll before the year starts. The school handles the state paperwork and tells you its deadlines. |
| Records your school asks for Records · Keep in your files | By the end of the school year | Keep in your files; your school reviews | Attendance and grades in the form your church-related school requires. |
What HomeSchool Scribe does in Tennessee
- Notice of intent: Prepares the notice letter; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Year-end attendance report: Prepares the attendance and hours report; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Standardized test (grades 5, 7, 9): Prepares the transcript; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before.
- Church-related school enrollment: Prepares the notice letter; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Records your school asks for: Prepares the attendance and hours report and the report card; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; keeps it in records.
Attendance and hours fill in from the lessons you check off, so the documents above come from records you already have.
Read the law yourself
Tennessee Department of Education · HSLDA’s Tennessee summary