No matter how long you’ve been homeschooling, the thought of continuing past middle school may make you pause. You’re not alone. In middle school, a good number of homeschoolers migrate to public schools. When you see this dropoff, it’s normal to wonder – do you really want to homeschool through high school? And, if so, is it the ‘right’ choice?

Of course, there’s no right or wrong answer… which is super annoying. It means you have to sit down and figure out what will work best for you and your child. You have to do research, ask questions, and spend time mulling it over.

Why don’t as many families homeschool through high school? There are many reasons people choose public school over homeschooling. Here are the main ones:

  • The middle school years tend to be difficult. Your children aren’t little kids anymore and they’re not quite adults either. They’re growing and changing and trying to figure out life. For some, public school seems to be a better option in the midst of this awkward time. The choice can be parent-driven, child-driven, or both.
  • The family situation changes. Most homeschool families make do with one income. After several years of homeschooling, financial pressures mount and a second income can look pretty enticing (and perhaps necessary, particularly when college costs are a looming factor).
  • It’s what everyone else is doing. If many of their homeschool friends are switching to public school, they may decide to follow along.
  • The thought of homeschooling through high school can be intimidating.

The truth is that your child can do well in either scenario – public school or homeschool. Or a mix of the two. (More on that below). If you’re leaning towards homeschooling – you want to homeschool through high school but aren’t sure how it will work – read on.

What I want you to know is that homeschooling through high school is achievable. That it can be a great choice. One that opens up opportunities and allows your child to reach whatever goals they have.

As I write this, my three children are set to start tenth grade, freshman year in college, and junior year in college. So I know homeschooling through high school ‘works’, despite the perceived obstacles. Of those obstacles, undoubtedly the biggest one is this…

Homeschooling in High School Sounds Intimidating

The truth? It can be. Particularly at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep. And maybe also when you’re fully awake and rested and rational. You think about curriculum, transcripts, sports, extra-curricular activities, social stuff, and whether you can actually help your child learn all those subjects at a high school level. Not to mention wondering about college prospects. It’s a lot to consider.

Let’s back up. First, can you homeschool through high school? Short answer: Absolutely!

But the real question is whether you want to homeschool through high school. Is this something both you and your child would like to do? For now, just know you can tackle that list of hurdles above – it’s very doable. I promise. But you have to want to do it.

Think about why you want to homeschool through high school. Find your ‘why’. If you know your why, you’ll figure out how to do it. You may have one single reason or several – items like the ability to:

I’ve included a few links in that list above if you’d like to read more about any of those topics.

Your family doesn’t need to justify the decision to homeschool through high school to anyone but yourselves. However, your homeschooling does need to be completed within the parameters set by your local public school system for high school graduation. This includes credit requirements for subjects like math, English, science, and more.

Do an online search and you should come up with this list of requirements fairly easily. Here’s the description for Jefferson County in Colorado. Once you find yours, look at how you can fulfill those requirements the way you want to homeschool through high school.

Outside Assistance

You can explore how to use more of a hybrid approach. Many choose to have their students attend a public or private homeschool options program one or more days a week. Some public high schools also allow part-time enrollment. If either of these appeal to you, make some calls and find out what’s available in your area.

While I haven’t used either of those options, my children do take some community college courses later on in high school. We’ve found this to be an excellent transition from homeschool high school to college.

What Else?

That long list I brought up earlier – the one with curriculum and transcripts and everything else? I’m not going to get to it all in this post. I’ll be back with more on homeschooling through high school in the future. In the meantime, if you want to homeschool through high school I hope I’ve given you a start with these three steps:

  • Figure out your ‘why’ before you look at how to homeschool through high school.
  • Understand your local high school graduation requirements.
  • Think about whether you’ll use any outside programs to supplement.

Take care,