In American Samoa, homeschools may operate under the private school statute (Amer. Sam. Code Ann. § 16.0701).
Homeschooling under American Samoa’s private school statute:
1. Obtain annual authorization.
Annually submit a form to the Department of Education that includes a statement of the aims and purposes of your school; the names and addresses of sponsors and supporters of the school; the ages, grades, and sexes of the children to be enrolled; the amount of tuition to be charged; and the curriculum to be followed. After an annual inspection, the Department of Education will issue a certificate of authorization.
2. Ensure that the teachers have the required qualifications.
“All members of the teaching personnel must hold a certificate of qualification granted by the Department of Education” (Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.1001).
3. Submit monthly and annual reports.
At the beginning of each school year, an annual report must be submitted to the Department of Education, comprising of a calendar for the school year; a list of the teachers’ names, ages, experience, and professional qualifications; a certificate of health for each teacher; a list of curriculum and books to be used; and a schedule of classes. You must also submit an enrollment report each month of the school year.
4. Follow the public school calendar.
Your school must be in session the same number of days as the local public schools.
5. Teach citizenship as required by the director of education.
Include in your curriculum any material that the director of education may require in the interest of good citizenship (Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0704).
6. Maintain permanent report cards for each pupil.
Please note: The information on this page has been reviewed by an attorney, but it should not be taken as legal advice specific to your individual situation.