Guest Author - Meg Grooms

All the information in this article was verified as accurate upon writing. It is your responsibility as a homeschooling parent to check your state law at least once a year and to ensure you are doing everything necessary to follow it. The best way to protect your family is to know your law better than the school officials!

Hawaii is considered to be a MODERATE regulation state. Homeschooling families in Hawaii have two options available to legally educate their children at home.

Option #1 - Establish and operate a home education program. No attendance requirements. Curriculum must "be structured and based on educational objectives as well as the needs of the child, be cumulative and sequential, provide a range of up-to-date knowledge and needed skills, and take into account the interests, needs, and abilities of the child"

To begin homeschooling you must send a letter of intent to home educate to the principal of your locally zoned school. When you end your program the principal must be notified within five days.

Testing is required in grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. An annual progress report must be filed with the school principal. This progress report can be a written report by the parent, an evaluation from a teacher or the scores of a standardized test.

Option #2 - Enroll in an alternative education program.

There is an attendance requirement that varies with each program but averages to be 3 hours of study per day. Subjects will be approved within the program. The parent must have a four year higher education degree and the child must participate in testing at their zoned public school.

For more information contact the Hawaii Department of Education at http://doe.k12.hi.us/

A good way to stay informed is to join a state or local homeschooling support and lobbying group. Check out the following:

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii
"The purpose of Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii (CHOH) is to share information regarding homeschooling from a Christ-centered perspective and provide support for homeschooling families."
CHOHinfo@christianhomeschoolersofhawaii.org
Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii
c/o 344 Kaumakani St.
Honolulu, HI 96825

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Homeschooling
We are a group of Catholic families joined together to promote and support Catholic homeschooling. Prayer and Spirituality are essential to our group. We promote the Holy Rosary and devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. We unite under our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and Bishop Clarence "Larry" Silva of the Honolulu Diocese. Our goal is to be good Catholic examples to our children and the community and to teach our children to know, love, and serve God and His Holy Church.
esther@catholicweb.com


New to Homeschooling?
Take a look at my ebook
Homeschooling With Confidence: A Plain English Guide to Homeschooling in the United States