Welcome back to our weekly roundup. This week leads with a Mississippi homeschool graduate who was put on academic probation for being homeschooled (and how that got fixed), a North Carolina school district that is thinking about letting homeschoolers attend part-time, and what California is actually arguing at the Supreme Court in the homeschool curriculum case.

On the funding side, Utah Fits All awarded about 20,000 scholarships with families still waiting, Florida PEP families have a new step before each quarterly payment, West Virginia released its Hope Scholarship annual report, and Texas lawmakers took a hard look at the TEFA homeschool category. As always, every story below links its source so you can read the original yourself. We use the agency, the court or the program’s own page wherever one exists.

A Mississippi college put a homeschool graduate on probation, then reversed course

High school graduate Sawyer Hays scored so well on an academic assessment test that a nearby Mississippi community college offered him a scholarship. Then admissions officers saw that he had been homeschooled and put him on academic probation. His acceptance letter said that to remain enrolled he would have to earn six credit hours with a minimum grade-point average of 1.5.

When his parents, David and Marsha Hays, asked why, the college answered: “Since homeschooled students do not receive the same standardized high school GPA calculations used for traditional high school graduates, they are initially admitted under a conditional status.” That did not add up for the family. Sawyer had already taken one class at the college through dual enrollment and earned an A, and HSLDA Senior Counsel Darren Jones said his ACT score “ranked him above eighty percent of test-takers.”

The family called HSLDA. Jones contacted the college, pointed out that Sawyer’s parents had homeschooled him in compliance with state law, and asked the college to re-evaluate his status. A week later, the college wrote that it had re-examined his credentials, especially his ACT score and dual-enrollment grade, and had removed him from probation. HSLDA’s report does not name the college, and the family says the college did not pledge to revise its overall policy. Sawyer is now working toward a computer programming degree with 17 credit hours this semester.

If you have a teen heading to college, keep the transcript, test scores and any dual-enrollment grades together in one place, and do not be shy about asking a school to explain a policy that treats homeschool graduates differently.

Source: HSLDA

Wake County, North Carolina, is exploring part-time public school for homeschoolers

Wake County school leaders are exploring whether to let the county’s more than 10,000 homeschool students co-enroll in the district. The school board discussed the idea at a recent work session, and Board Chairman Tyler Swanson said the board will revisit it during its December retreat.

The district would offer either a partial-day schedule, where homeschool students attend for only part of the day, or a partial-week schedule, where students attend two to three times per week. Board members said they were interested but had many questions, including whether part-time students could join extracurricular activities, popular electives or magnet programs, plus transportation and services such as special education. The district would only receive state funding for homeschool students enrolled for at least 50% of the school day.

Wake has already surveyed more than 1,100 families, and about 54% said they were likely or extremely likely to use co-enrollment if it were offered. In North Carolina the decision is a local one. Homeschool students can already co-enroll in Johnston, Cumberland and Moore counties and at least 74 other districts, though some, such as Johnston and Cumberland, allow only virtual school enrollment. If you homeschool in North Carolina and want a part-time option, ask your own district whether it offers one.

Source: WRAL

Update: California asks the Supreme Court not to take the homeschool curriculum case

We have been following Woolard v. Thurmond, the case brought by California families whose children do independent study through charter schools, after the schools refused to adopt religious curricula for them. Last week we noted that State Superintendent Tony Thurmond filed his brief opposing review on October 22 and the charter school defendants filed theirs on October 23. This week we read Thurmond’s brief so you know what the state is arguing.

The brief says California charter schools are part of California’s public school system, and that the independent study in this case “exists only within the public school system.” The Supreme Court held in Carson v. Makin in 2022 that a state may provide a strictly secular education in its public schools, and California argues that is all this case is about. It calls the case “a very narrow question, highly dependent on California-specific statutes and regulations,” and asks the justices to deny the petition.

One line in the brief is worth knowing if you homeschool in California: “California allows parents to provide their children with their preferred private education, including a religious education, through homeschooling.” In other words, the state says this fight is over public charter school independent study, not private homeschooling.

The families have company. When the full Ninth Circuit declined to rehear the case, five judges dissented. And on September 23, Utah and 17 other states filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the families, with Utah Attorney General Derek Brown’s office as counsel. The docket does not yet show a date for the justices to consider the petition.

Sources: Brief in opposition of the State Superintendent, PDF, Supreme Court docket 26-237, brief of Utah and 17 other states, PDF

Utah Fits All: about 20,000 scholarships awarded, and thousands of families still waiting

Utah Fits All received 27,560 applications this year and awarded about 20,000 scholarships, KUTV reported on October 22. Funding increased to $120 million this year. For comparison, Odyssey, the private company that oversees the program, reported to lawmakers in September that no new families could apply during the 2025-26 school year and 14,522 students received scholarships. Utah Education Fits All, a nonprofit that helps families navigate the program, puts this year’s count at 21,186 students.

When applications exceed the money available, state law gives priority to returning students, then siblings of returning students, then lower-income applicants and then other eligible applicants, with a lottery deciding awards inside each group. Robyn Bagley, executive director of Utah Education Fits All, said 3,317 applicants in the lower-income priority group have received a scholarship this year. Students in the fourth priority group, those above the lower-income levels, are still on the waitlist.

In late August, Utah Education Fits All said nearly 5,000 children remained on the waitlist and that it will push for an increase in the Utah Fits All appropriation during the 2027 legislative session. If your family is still waiting, now is a good time to let your legislators know. (Look for A to Z for Moms Like Me in the Odyssey Marketplace)

Sources: KUTV, Utah Education Fits All

Florida PEP: quarter 2 funds and a new attestation step

Step Up For Students lists November 1 as the date it receives Quarter 2 funds for all Personalized Education Program (PEP) students, and it notes that from that date it may take two weeks for the funds to be deposited.

New this school year, families need to complete an attestation before each quarterly distribution confirming that their student is not enrolled full-time in public school. The program’s deadline table lists November 15 for completing the Quarter 2 attestation in EMA, and Step Up says families will be notified when it is time to complete it, so keep an eye on your email and your EMA account.

One more number worth knowing: Florida law does not allow additional deposits into a child’s account once the balance is greater than $24,000.

Source: Step Up For Students, PEP funding page

West Virginia: the Hope Scholarship report shows 14,486 students, and homeschoolers can now apply

West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack released the 2025-2026 Hope Scholarship Annual Report on October 26. It shows 14,486 students received the Hope Scholarship last school year, a nearly 38 percent increase from the year before and more than six times the number in the program’s first year, 2022-2023. About 62% of recipients attended nonpublic schools, and nearly 38% used an Individualized Instructional Plan, which lets families customize their child’s education through home-based learning or other approved options. Of all recipients, 1,217, or 8.4%, were students with special needs.

The big news for homeschool families is the expansion. For the 2026-2027 school year, all West Virginia children in grades K-12, including existing private school and traditional homeschool students who were previously ineligible, can apply, and there have been more than 26,000 approved applications so far. In the parent survey, 96% of the 893 families who responded reported overall satisfaction with the program.

Source: West Virginia State Treasurer

Texas: lawmakers question the TEFA homeschool category, and the comptroller promises a public dashboard

At a recent Texas Senate Education Committee hearing, Democratic state Sen. José Menéndez of San Antonio questioned how families can qualify for up to $2,000 through the Texas Education Freedom Accounts category called “homeschool/other.” Travis Pillow, who oversees the program for the Comptroller’s office, explained that families can qualify for the $2,000 award even if their children attend private schools that do not participate in the program. Instead of tuition, the money can go toward approved educational expenses such as tutoring, therapy, educational materials and extracurricular activities like karate or piano lessons. “Every dollar that is spent through this program needs to be for an approved and qualified educational expense,” Pillow told lawmakers. Menéndez called it “a big, big loophole the size of a Mack truck.” The hearing was held as lawmakers prepare to potentially double the program’s $1 billion budget during the upcoming legislative session.

On October 26, Comptroller Don Huffines announced a public webpage showing how TEFA funds are spent. It starts this week with a first set of data and will grow into a full dashboard in the coming weeks, with a link to the agency’s whistleblower portal for reporting suspected fraud. He also announced an independent, third-party audit that will be separate from, and in addition to, the regular audit by the State Auditor’s Office. The comptroller says more than 100,000 students are enrolled and more than 100,000 are on the waitlist.

For homeschool families using the $2,000 award, the takeaway is simple: keep your receipts and spend only on approved expenses, because this program is going to be watched closely. (Look for A to Z for Moms Like Me in the Odyssey Marketplace)

Sources: Texas Public Radio (reporting by KERA), Texas Comptroller

Around the country

Colorado (update). The State Board of Education held its hearing on the new Rules for the Regulation of Part-Time Programs for Homeschool Students on October 15 and will revisit them at its November 12-13 meeting, according to the Colorado Department of Education. Two versions, Option A and Option B, are posted on the department’s rulemaking page. (Colorado Department of Education)

Ohio. On October 15, Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling that the EdChoice and EdChoice Expansion scholarship programs are unconstitutional, but it stayed enforcement of its judgment pending an appeal. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said “the EdChoice program will continue uninterrupted as we appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.” EdChoice helps students attend private schools, so it does not directly affect homeschool families. (the court’s decision, PDF, Cleveland19)

Alabama. Governor Kay Ivey’s office says 34,322 eligible students are currently using CHOOSE Act funds, and for the 2027-2028 school year and beyond, the program is open to all families, regardless of income. (Be sure to look for us in the CW Marketplace!) (Office of the Governor)

Federal tax credit, a clarification. Last week we reported that 31 states had signed on, based on news reports. The IRS’s official list of participating states, dated as of October 22, names 30 states. New York, whose governor announced on October 9 that the state would opt in, is not on that list yet. (IRS, Chalkbeat)

Upcoming Homeschool Events

Home School Program K-5: Crazy about Maize at the Tallahassee Museum, Tallahassee, Florida, Thursday November 5. Choose the 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. session or the 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. session, $18 for nonmembers and $16 for members. To celebrate the harvest season, students learn all the ways we use corn, from sweetener to hand sanitizer. Children must be at least 5 years old, you must preregister online by noon on November 2, and you should be prepared to spend most of the time outside.

Homeschool Day at the Idaho State Museum, Boise, Idaho, Friday November 6. 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This month’s theme is Make Your Mark with Artist Aly McKnight, an illustrator and enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, who will read books she has illustrated at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Admission is $4 per student (youth 2 and up) and $5 for adults in a 1:1 ratio. Preregistration is required, walkups will not be accommodated, and payment is non-refundable.

November Homeschool: Chemistry in Nature at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, Thursday November 19. Sessions at 9:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The 90 minute class with Visiting Scientist Dr. Ann Taylor looks at how plants protect themselves and how natural systems use chemistry. It is recommended for ages 6 to 10, youth tickets are $21, and a registered adult (no charge) is required. Program fees do not include nonmember museum admission.

Sources: Tallahassee Museum, Idaho State Historical Society, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Homeschool Facts and Tips for This Week

Did you know? About 41% of U.S. homeschool families are non-white/non-Hispanic, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. NHERI also notes that homeschoolers include low-, middle- and high-income families, people of different faiths and people across the political spectrum. (NHERI)

Resource tip. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers Learning Space With NASA at Home, a collection of space and science activities for grades K-9 designed to be done with materials you may already have at home. It includes video tutorials, with subtitles in Spanish, and an FAQ for families, and many activities link to an educator guide if you want to see how they line up with standards. (NASA JPL Education)

Field trip tip. Illinois home schools receive free general admission at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Reserve at least 24 hours in advance with the museum’s form or by calling (773) 684-1414, and know that extras such as a Giant Dome Theater film must be paid by credit card in advance. Wherever you live, call your nearest science museum and ask whether it has a homeschool admission policy. (Griffin Museum of Science and Industry)

Planning tip. Some of the best spring programs open registration in the fall. Registration for the Homeschool Field Day at the Spangler Farm Hospital at Gettysburg National Military Park opens November 2, 2026, for the March 12, 2027 program. It is recommended for ages 8 to 14, the park can accept a maximum of 50 students per session, and each student receives an identity card of a real person connected to the farm. Put the registration dates for your favorite spring field trips on the calendar now. (National Park Service)

Social tip. Bring your co-op along. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis says its homeschool classes welcome all learners, “whether you’re a seasoned homeschool family, part of a co-op or hybrid school, or just beginning your homeschool journey.” Booking a class with a few other families, then adding a picnic or playtime afterward, turns a class into a meetup. (The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis)

Until next week

What we are watching: the Colorado State Board of Education’s November 12-13 meeting on homeschool enrichment rules, the Florida PEP Quarter 2 attestation on November 15, whether the justices take up the California curriculum case, the Ohio EdChoice appeal, the new Texas TEFA dashboard, and Election Day on November 3.

New states in the roundup this week: Mississippi, North Carolina, California, Utah, Florida, West Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, Alabama, New York, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Happy homeschooling, and we will see you next Saturday.

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