Homeschooling in Idaho: the law, the money and where families find each other

Idaho is one of the easiest states in the country to homeschool in. You don't have to tell anyone, register, test your child or keep records for the state. Here is what the law actually says, what "lenient" means in practice, where the money help is (and isn't), and where Kootenai County families find each other.

What the law requires

Idaho's school attendance law, Idaho Code 33-202, covers children from age 7 until they turn 16. It gives parents a short list of choices: enroll the child in a public, charter, private or religious school, or have the child "privately instructed by, or at the direction of" a parent or guardian.

Parents who homeschool have two duties. They must teach the subjects "commonly and usually taught" in Idaho public schools, and they must teach for a period each year equal to the public school year.

What "lenient" means

It means the state doesn't check. Idaho has no notice or registration requirement, no required tests, no parent qualifications and no record-keeping rules for homeschool families. Many states require at least one of those. If you pull a child out of public school, it is wise to tell the school in writing that you are withdrawing the child to homeschool, so the absences aren't treated as truancy.

Supporters say this trusts parents, who know their own children best. Critics, including the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, argue that with no check-ins at all, a child who isn't being taught can go unnoticed.

You can still use the public school

Idaho Code 33-203 lets homeschooled students "dual enroll" in a public school. They can take individual classes and join activities open to other students. For sports and other activities, a homeschooled student must live in that school's attendance area and show grade-level work, either with a nationally normed test score in the average range or higher, or with a portfolio or other measure the State Board recognizes. That proof counts for the current and next school year.

Online public schools such as the Idaho Virtual Academy and Idaho Home Learning Academy are not homeschooling under the law. They are public schools, even when the work happens at the kitchen table.

Is there money to help?

There is no federal reimbursement or tax credit for homeschooling. The 2025 federal tax law did not create one.

The real help is from the state. Idaho's Parental Choice Tax Credit, passed in 2025 as House Bill 93, is a refundable credit of up to $5,000 per student, or $7,500 for a student with a disability, for students outside public school, including homeschoolers. The program has nearly $50 million in state money. Families at or below 300% of the federal poverty level get priority, and awards are first come, first served.

What counts: the Tax Commission says homeschool materials such as textbooks and curricula may qualify. What doesn't: a parent's own teaching, activities outside the four core subjects, vacations, vehicles, gaming computers and the like. You must apply through the Tax Commission's online TAP system and keep every receipt. For 2025 expenses, the window was Jan. 15 to March 15, 2026. Watch myschoolchoice.idaho.gov for the next one.

The credit was challenged in court. On Feb. 5, 2026, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously ruled it constitutional. The coalition that sued, which included the Idaho Education Association, said afterward that constitutional "does not mean that they are good policy."

What about 529 accounts?

A 2025 federal law raised the yearly limit on 529 withdrawals for kindergarten through 12th grade to $20,000 per student starting in 2026, and added costs like curriculum, books and tutoring. But the law ties those costs to a student enrolled at "a public, private, or religious school." It never mentions homeschooling, and Idaho does not treat a homeschool as a private school. Some plans say homeschool costs don't qualify. Before you pull 529 money for homeschool costs, ask your plan and a tax preparer.

A new federal scholarship tax credit

Starting in 2027, a federal credit gives donors up to $1,700 back for gifts to nonprofit scholarship groups for K-12 students. States had to opt in, and Idaho did: the state filed the paperwork on Jan. 20, 2026, Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order on Feb. 16, and the Legislature passed House Bill 731. Scholarships may help some homeschool families. Ask a scholarship group directly.

Homeschool groups near you

Coeur d'Alene Area Homeschool Community: a Facebook support group for families in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Rathdrum, Post Falls and nearby, for sharing events, field trips and questions. It grew by at least 1,000 members after 2019, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported.

Inland Northwest Christian Homeschoolers (INCH): a nonprofit co-op and support group for the Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Valley areas, run by volunteer moms. It is not a drop-off program.

St. Michael the Archangel Homeschool Co-op: a Catholic co-op that meets at St. Pius parish hall in Coeur d'Alene.

Classical Conversations: the Christian classical homeschool program lists communities in Hayden, Post Falls, Athol and other North Idaho towns.

Your library: the Coeur d'Alene Public Library has hosted a homeschooling parents' coffee and chat. The Community Library Network runs branches in Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum, Athol, Spirit Lake, Harrison and Pinehurst. Check their calendars, and ours, for programs.

Good to know

This story explains the law. It isn't legal or tax advice. For your own situation, read the statutes at legislature.idaho.gov and the Tax Commission's guidance, or ask a professional.