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State Requirements

Homeschooling in Kentucky

1062 hrs/year 170 days Notice required

Kentucky has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must log at least 1062 hours of instruction per year, and you'll file notice with your local school district.

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If you're homeschooling in Kentucky, you're working inside a moderately regulated framework with enough structure to keep the state informed but plenty of room to build a family-shaped program. Compulsory attendance in Kentucky covers children ages 6-18, which means a homeschool program needs to be in place for any child in that range.

A Kentucky homeschool year is defined by a single headline number: 1062 hours of instruction spread over at least 170 school days. Whether those hours happen at the kitchen table, in a co-op, on a nature walk, or through a structured curriculum is entirely up to the family.

Notice filing is the gateway for Kentucky homeschool families: a short document submitted to your local school district sets the record straight for the year ahead. Most districts accept a straightforward letter listing each student, their grade level, and a brief statement of intent.

The required subjects in Kentucky (reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, math, science, and civics) form the backbone of each year's plan, with real freedom in how deeply or creatively each is taught. In practice, Kentucky homeschool families use Homeschool Fox to log daily activities, keep portfolios in one place, and generate the compliance reports that the state's paperwork moments call for.

At a glance

1062 hours/year

Instruction time

170 days/year

School days

Ages 6-18

Compulsory attendance

Notice requirements

Notice is required

You must notify your local school district of your intent to homeschool.

Need a head start? Use the free Notice of Intent generator to draft a Kentucky-ready letter.

Deeper guides: how to write a notice of intent to homeschool covers the language admins look for, and when and where to file your notice of intent covers state-by-state deadlines and recipients.

Generate your notice of intent

Withdrawing from public school

To withdraw your child from public school in Kentucky, send a written withdrawal letter to the principal or registrar, then file a notice of intent with your local school district so the transition is on record before instruction begins. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

For the play-by-play, how to withdraw your child from public school walks through the conversation, the timing, and the paperwork. What to send the district when you pull your child covers exactly what the letter should and shouldn't say.

Assessment requirements

Assessment not required

Kentucky does not require standardized testing or formal assessment.

Portfolio & records

Portfolio not required

While Kentucky doesn't mandate a portfolio, keeping records is still recommended.

Required subjects

Kentucky requires instruction in the following subjects.

reading writing spelling grammar history math science civics

Additional notes

Plan for at least 170 school days, or about 1,062 instructional hours across the year. Send a short notice to your local superintendent within the first 10 days of your school year, and keep simple attendance records and grades as you go — you don't have to submit them, just have them on hand. The older "185 days" figure you may run into elsewhere is for year-round schools; the homeschool minimum is 170 / 1,062 hours (KRS 158.070).

Calculate your Kentucky hours

Kentucky requires 1062 hours/year. Enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.

Leave at 0 if you haven't started tracking yet

Enter an end date to see your targets

Prefer a full-page version? Open the standalone hours calculator.

Sources

Verified May 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to notify anyone to homeschool in Kentucky?
Yes, Kentucky requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district.

How many hours do I need to homeschool in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires a minimum of 1062 hours of instruction per school year. This must be spread over at least 170 school days.

Does Kentucky require testing for homeschoolers?
No, Kentucky does not require standardized testing or formal assessments for homeschooled students. However, many families choose to use assessments voluntarily to track progress.

Do I need to keep a portfolio in Kentucky?
No, Kentucky does not legally require you to maintain a portfolio. However, keeping records of your homeschool activities is still highly recommended for your own reference and for potential college applications or if you ever need to demonstrate educational progress.

What subjects must I teach in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires instruction in the following subjects: reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, math, science, and civics. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

Nearby states

View all states

Want the cross-state comparison? Homeschool laws by state covers the legal regime in every state side by side.

What we track

Track your 1062 Kentucky hours automatically

Log activities by voice or text and Homeschool Fox rolls them up against Kentucky's requirements automatically. Free for 14 days.

  • Hours toward 1062-hour goal
  • Attendance days toward 170-day goal
  • Subject coverage (core & non-core)
  • Activity log (text, voice, AI-parsed)
  • Portfolios & PDF year-end reports
  • Transcripts with GPA & credits
  • Test scores & evaluations
  • Notice of intent & withdrawal letters
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