How to Start Homeschooling in Maine

Required days

175 days/year

Required subjects

10 subjects

Notice

Required

Testing / evaluation

Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)

Recordkeeping

Recommended

Jump to the full Maine requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand Maine's homeschool law

   Maine has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must homeschool at least 175 days per year, and you'll file notice with both your local school district and the state.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   To withdraw your child from public school in Maine and begin homeschooling, send a written withdrawal letter to the current school, then file a notice of intent with both your local school district and the state Department of Education before instruction starts. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, Maine requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify both your local school district and the state.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   Maine requires instruction in the following subjects: english, math, science, social studies, health, physical education, fine arts, library skills, maine studies, and computer proficiency. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   Maine doesn't specify a minimum number of hours, but requires at least 175 days of instruction per year.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   Maine requires one annual assessment, submitted with the annual letter to the commissioner and your school unit. Families pick from a nationally standardized test, a local test developed by the school unit, a portfolio review conducted by a Maine-certified teacher, a homeschool support group that includes a certified Maine educator, or an approved local advisory board.

7. 7

   Track your hours and keep records

   Log activities as they happen so hours, attendance, and subject coverage build up automatically. Homeschool Fox lets you log from your phone or by voice and generates a Maine-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

Maine tracks days, not hours. We suggest aiming for 900 hours/year as a personal target. Enter your end date to see the pace.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Maine

Everything Maine expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Days toward your 175-day goal
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More Maine guides

• Maine Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Maine Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Maine What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.