IHBG - Home Schools
Date Adopted: 7 September 1988
Current Review / Revision: 9 April 2025
As required by Utah code 53G-6-204, the Board of Education shall excuse students from district school attendance if the student's legal parent or guardian submits a signed and notarized affidavit that the student will attend a home school. The parent assumes sole responsibility for the education of the school-age minor, except to the extent the school-age minor is dual enrolled in a public school. (53G-6-702)
A signed and notarized affidavit shall remain in effect as long as the school-age minor attends a home school and remains within the School District.
The legal parent or guardian of a minor attending a home school is solely responsible for:
· the selection of instructional materials and textbooks;
· the time, place, and method of instruction;
· the evaluation of the home school instruction;
· maintaining records of instruction and attendance;
· credentials for individuals providing home school instruction;
· adequacy of home school facilities; and
· standardized or other testing of home school students.
The School District may not require a parent of a school-age minor who attends a home school to maintain records of instruction or attendance, require credentials for individuals providing home school instruction, inspect home school facilities, or require testing of home school students.
Upon request of a home school student or the student’s parent or guardian, the District shall provide a copy of the schedule of statewide assessment dates, the locations at which home school students may be tested, and the District’s policies relating to home school student participation in statewide assessments. Home school students who desire to participate in a particular statewide assessment must make the request in writing at least __30_ days before the test date. The District shall respond in writing to the request at least _15_ days following the receipt of the request. Where the request to participate is approved, the District shall provide written notice to the home school student and his or her parent or guardian of testing rules, including required identification and proof of residency for adults and students and implements or materials that the home school student may or may not bring or use for the test.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-4 (December 11, 2023)
If a home school student returns to the public-school system, they are required to meet all graduation requirements established by the School/School District and the Utah State Board of Education in order to receive a Diploma of Graduation from a District high school.
When a home school student transfers from a home school to a public school, the public school shall place the student in the grade levels, classes, or courses that the student's parent or guardian and in consultation with the school administrator determine are appropriate based on the parent's or guardian's assessment of the student's academic performance.
Within 30 days of a home school student's placement in a public-school grade level, class, or course, either the student's teacher or the student's parent or guardian may request a conference to consider changing the student's placement. If the student's teacher and the student's parent or guardian agree on a placement change, the public school shall place the student in the agreed upon grade level, class, or course.
If the student's teacher and the student's parent or guardian, do not agree on a placement change, the public school shall evaluate the student's subject matter mastery. The student's parent or guardian has the option of either allowing the public school to administer, to the student, assessments that are regularly administered to public school students; and used to measure public school students' subject matter mastery and determine placement; or having a private entity or individual administer assessments of subject matter mastery to the student at the parent's or guardian's expense.
After an evaluation of a student's subject matter mastery, a public school may change a student's placement in a grade level, class, or course.
This section does not apply to a student who is dual enrolled in a public school and a home school pursuant to Section 53G-6-702.
Dual Enrollment
Upon request by the legal parent or guardian, a student who has been released from school district attendance for home school instruction, may enroll in school district courses at the school they would normally attend.
Dual enrollment students shall be subject to the same behavior and discipline responsibilities and requirements of a full-time student.
Dual enrollment students shall be subject to administrative scheduling and teacher discretion of the public school.
Dual enrollment students shall be eligible for any academic activities consistent with eligibility standards for fully enrolled traditional public-school students. The home school student may only participate in extracurricular or school day activities at the school within whose boundaries the student's custodial parent(s) or legal guardian resides.
Dual enrollment students are responsible for school fees in the same manner as full-time public-school students and will be eligible for fee waivers as required under state law and state board of education rules.
Eligibility for extra-curricular activities within the School District shall be governed by Board Policy JJJA – Extra Curricular Activities for Homes School and Private School Students
A student with disabilities may participate as a dual enrollment student consistent with Utah law.
The student shall have a service plan in place prior to participation in dual enrollment using comparable procedures to those required for identifying and evaluating public school students.
Students with disabilities seeking dual enrollment shall be entitled to services only in the same proportional amount that the number of home/private school students residing in the district is to the total number of students with disabilities in the district.
Decisions about the scheduling and manner of services provided shall be the responsibility of school and district personnel.
Scholarship Student Participation—
A “scholarship student” is a student who receives a scholarship under the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program or the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-2(5) (December 11, 2023)
Utah Code § 53E-7-401(13) (2023)
Utah Code § 53F-6-401(12) (2023)
An “eligible school” is a school that has been approved for participation in the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-2(1) (December 11, 2023)
A “qualifying school” is a school that participates in the Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-2(4) (December 11, 2023)
Utah Code § 53E-7-401(8) (2023)
Scholarship students who are not enrolled in an eligible school or qualifying school may be allowed by the District to participate in statewide assessments administered in the District subject to the following conditions:
1. The student must pay, in advance, the full cost to the District of administering the testing. These testing costs include costs for materials, scoring, reporting, and State-related costs.
2. The District shall determine in which school(s) scholarship students may take statewide assessments.
3. The District shall determine the limits, if any, of numbers of scholarship students that can be accommodated by the school.
Upon request of a scholarship student or the student’s parents, the District shall provide a copy of the schedule of statewide assessment dates, the locations at which scholarship students may be tested, and the District’s policies relating to scholarship student participation in statewide assessments. A scholarship student desiring to participate in a particular statewide assessment must make the request in writing at least _30__ days before the test date. The District shall respond in writing to the request at least __15_ days following the receipt of the request. Where the request to participate is approved, the District shall provide written notice to the student of testing rules, including required identification and proof of residency and implements or materials that the student may or may not bring or use for the test.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-6 (December 11, 2023)
Test results for scholarship students shall not be provided to any person or entity other than the student, the student’s parent, and the scholarship program manager. However, if the student is partially enrolled in a public school, the results may also be provided to the public school where the student is partially enrolled.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-6(4)(c), (5) (December 11, 2023)
Scholarship students enrolled in an eligible school or qualifying school may be allowed by the District to participate in statewide assessments administered in the District subject to the following conditions:
1. The scholarship student’s school must request permission from the District on behalf of the student to participate.
2. The student or school must pay, in advance, the full cost to the District of administering the testing. These testing costs include costs for materials, scoring, reporting, and State-related costs.
3. The District shall determine in which school(s) scholarship students may take statewide assessments.
4. The District shall determine the limits, if any, of numbers of scholarship students that can be accommodated by the school.
5. The District may require the eligible school or qualifying school to provide administrators to participate in monitoring or proctoring tests, as appropriate.
Upon request of an eligible school or qualifying school to whose students the District is administering assessments, the District shall provide the school a copy of the schedule of statewide assessment dates, the locations at which scholarship students may be tested, and the District’s policies relating to scholarship student participation in statewide assessments. Eligible schools or qualifying schools which desire to have their students participate in a particular statewide assessment must make the request in writing at least _____ days before the test date. The District shall respond in writing to the request at least ____ days following the receipt of the request. Where the request to participate is approved, the District shall provide written notice to the school of testing rules, including required identification and proof of residency for staff and students and implements or materials that the school staff or student may or may not bring or use for the test.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-3 (December 11, 2023)
Test results for scholarship students enrolled in an eligible school or qualifying school shall not be provided to any person or entity other than the student, the student’s parent, the eligible or qualifying school, and the scholarship program manager. However, if the student is partially enrolled in a public school, the results may also be provided to the public school where the student is partially enrolled.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-3(4)(e), (5) (December 11, 2023)
Private School Student Participation—
Private school students who are Utah residents may be allowed by the District to participate in statewide assessments administered in the District subject to the following conditions:
1. The private school student’s school must request permission from the District on behalf of the student to participate.
2. The student or private school must pay, in advance, the full cost to the District of administering the testing. These testing costs include costs for materials, scoring, reporting, and State-related costs.
3. The District shall determine in which school(s) private school students may take statewide assessment.
4. The District shall determine the limits, if any, of numbers of non-public school students that can be accommodated by the school.
5. The District may require the participating private school to provide administrators to participate in monitoring or proctoring tests, as appropriate.
Upon request of a private school to whose students the District is administering assessments, the District shall provide the private school a copy of the schedule of statewide assessment dates, the locations at which private school students may be tested, and the District’s policies relating to private school student participation in statewide assessments. Private schools which desire to have their students participate in a particular statewide assessment must make the request in writing at least _____ days before the test date. The District shall respond in writing to the request at least ____ days following the receipt of the request. Where the request to participate is approved, the District shall provide written notice to the private school of testing rules, including required identification and proof of residency for staff and students and implements or materials that the private school or student may or may not bring or use for the test.
Private school students who are not Utah residents may participate in statewide assessments only upon payment, in advance, of the full cost of the individual assessments.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-3 (May 26, 2020)
Test results for private school students shall not be provided to any person or entity other than the student, the student’s parent, and the private school. However, if the student is partially enrolled in a public school, the results may also be provided to the public school where the student is partially enrolled.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-604-3(4)(e), (5) (December 11, 2023)
Previous Revision 7 May 2014