The answers to these questions will help guide you to the church school that will work best for you and your family:
Religious Questions
- Is a statement of faith required?
- Is church attendance by either parent required?
- Is any type of religious teaching required?
- Is the church school open to only members of a certain faith or open to all homeschoolers?
Teaching Methods and Curriculum
- Does the church school require families to use a particular curriculum?
- Does the church school require academic instruction to be done during certain hours? How many days each year?
- Does the church school require a particular method of instruction? Will the church school be comfortable with the way you wish to homeschool (unschool)?
- Does the church school keep your records and transcripts? Or are you expected to keep track of such paperwork?
- Does the church school require grades? Testing?
- How much record keeping are you required to keep? Are you comfortable with that level of record keeping?
- Do you need a church school that will accept single parents? Working parents? Someone other than the parent doing the main academic instruction? If so, be upfront with the church school about this.
- Does the church school provide a diploma? Is more than one type of diploma offered?
Other Requirements
- Is HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) membership required?
- Does the church school require you to attend regular meetings?
- How much is tuition? Is it per family or per child? Is it a yearly, quarterly, or monthly tuition?
Support and Activities Offered
- Do you need a lot of support, such as choosing curriculum, finding resources, keeping records? Will the church school offer such assistance? Do they have advisors available by e-mail or telephone?
- Does the church school provide any services? E-mail list? Support group? Lending library? Field trips? Dual enrollment? Transcripts? Diploma? Workshops?
- How does the church school keep members informed of activities and events? Website? E-mail list? Newsletter? Facebook Group?
- Does the church school offer the activities you and your family are interested in? If not, is there a support group you can join that will provide those activities? Or do you need to find a different church school that will provide those activities?
- Does the church school provide families with the opportunity to get to know other members? Such as park days, pot luck dinners, skate days, etc.