Homeschooling & Special Education

Image of a boy in a wheelchair and a man sitting at a dining room table. The boy is writing and the man is looking over his shoulder. Below the image is a black box with white text reading “HOMESCHOOLING & SPECIAL EDUCATION”. To the right is a white box with dark blue text reading “LEARN MORE” with and orange and blue cursor icon graphic to the right.

Navy blue rectangle with a white, thick, horizontal bar at the top. Over the white is navy blue text that reads: "KNOW YOUR SPECIAL EDUCATION RIGHTS: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS & STUDENTS IN KANSAS." Over the navy blue is white text that reads: "The flyer below and to the left is part of a series of one-page flyers covering over 30 Special Education topics. They are designed to give you "just in time" information for each step of the Special Education process. You can download the whole series in the form of an extensive booklet, or simply choose the topics and view the individual flyers as you need them." Under the text is an orange rectangle with white text reading: "SEE THE WHOLE SERIES HERE" with a white icon of a computer mouse inside of a navy blue circle.

PDF Version: Homeschooling & Special Education

PDF Version: Full Guide of all 30+ Flyers (Compiled as a Booklet)

Versión en Español en Formato PDF: Educación en Casa y Educación Especial

Homeschooling is when your child learns at home instead of public school. A homeschool must be registered with the State of Kansas. This is not the same as remote learning (for example, virtual or online school). It is also not the same as private school.

If your child is homeschooled, they are not enrolled in public school. That means that the public school does not have to provide special education and related services. When you start homeschooling your child, their right to special education stops. If they had an IEP (Individualized Education Program), it is not valid anymore. This means that the special education and related services will end.

The school can still offer to give your child special education services but is not required to offer them. You can accept or deny the special education services. Public schools have to locate, identify and evaluate all children in the district. This is done through “Child Find.” It includes students that are homeschooled.

If your child is identified as a student with a disability, the public school has to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE). However, you have to enroll your child in public school to receive it. Families who homeschool can partially enroll in a district for certain services or classes. Families who are homeschooling are encouraged to contact their school district to ask about services and options for their children. If you choose not to enroll in public school, you are required to provide your child’s special education services through your homeschool.

Kansas has requirements for homeschools. This includes documenting your child’s education. You can find the requirements at https://hslda.org/legal/kansas. If you do not follow them, the school district can report your child as a child in need of care to the Department for Children and Families (DCF).

Kansas Special Education Process Handbook, Chapter 5. Kansas State Department of Education.

Homeschooling in Kansas. Kansas State Department of Education.

Disclaimer: This fact sheet is not intended to provide specific legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney. Only an attorney can give you specific legal advice based on your particular situation. We try to update our materials regularly, but the law can change frequently. This publication is based on the law at the time that it was written. Future changes in the law could make information in this fact sheet inaccurate.