Children between 7 and 17 years of age must receive instruction unless they have graduated. Regardless of age, once a child is enrolled in kindergarten or a higher grade at a public school, he or she is subject to compulsory attendance until age 17.

A school board may have a policy that exempts children under age 7 from being required to attend school. In any district, a child under age 7 who is subject to compulsory attendance may be withdrawn from enrollment for good cause by a parent. HSLDA members, please contact us if you have specific questions about how the compulsory attendance laws apply to your child.

Parents who begin homeschooling and submit their initial report to the superintendent before a student turns 16 are not required to submit notification (or perform assessments) after the student turns 16.

HSLDA believes that a parent-issued diploma and transcript should be sufficient to demonstrate that a child has completed a secondary education. However, even if your child is beyond compulsory school attendance age, there may be situations where you would want to continue to follow the requirements of a home education option recognized under Minnesota law until your child graduates from high school (filing a home education notice, keeping attendance and other records, etc.).

These records may be requested in some situations, such as obtaining a driver's license if your child is a minor, enlisting in the military, participating in PSEO, applying to colleges, or demonstrating eligibility for Social Security benefits. If you are a member of HSLDA and would like additional details, please contact us.