How to Homeschool in Wisconsin (2026 Guide)

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At a Glance

Regulation Level Low
Notice Required Yes
Testing Required No
Record Keeping Required No

The short version

Wisconsin homeschool law is genuinely light-touch. Once a year, you complete the PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report — a two-section online form filed with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) by October 15. That form is not an application; it does not require DPI approval. You affirm that your program meets the legal requirements, the DPI records it, and your school district receives a copy. That’s the full extent of your annual paperwork.

The program itself must provide at least 875 hours of instruction per year covering six subjects: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health. The instruction must be sequentially progressive — meaning it builds on prior learning — but the statute says nothing about which curriculum you use, which textbooks you buy, or how your teaching day is structured.

No testing. No portfolio review. No state approval of your materials. No inspector visiting your home. No credential requirement for the parent providing instruction. Wisconsin’s homeschool law has remained largely unchanged since 1984 and reflects a deliberate policy choice to keep the state out of how families educate their children at home.

There is no state education savings account, voucher, or scholarship available specifically for homeschoolers. The parental choice programs (MPCP, WPCP, RPCP) and the Special Needs Scholarship Program are structured for students enrolling in participating private schools — not for home-based programs. Homeschoolers have access to part-time public school classes and district athletics, but no direct public funding flows to a home-based program.

Wisconsin’s homeschool law traces its origin to 1983 Act 512, passed by the Legislature on May 10, 1984, following a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling (State v. Popanz) that the existing compulsory attendance law was too vague to be enforced against home-educating families. The law was shaped heavily by home-educating parents — organized through what is now the Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association — who successfully insisted on a statute that preserved full parental control without state oversight.

The current statutory framework is built on three provisions:

  • Wis. Stat. § 118.15(4) — establishes the right of a parent or guardian to select a home-based private educational program as a substitute for public or private school attendance under the compulsory attendance law
  • Wis. Stat. § 115.001(3g) — defines “home-based private educational program” as a program of educational instruction provided to a child by the child’s parent or guardian or by a person designated by the parent or guardian; explicitly states that an instructional program provided to more than one family unit does not constitute a home-based private educational program
  • Wis. Stat. § 118.165(1) — sets out the four requirements a home-based program must meet to qualify as a lawful substitute for compulsory attendance

Compulsory attendance applies to children between age 6 and age 18. A child who will turn 6 on or before September 1 of a given school year is subject to compulsory attendance for that year.

The DPI does not certify, approve, or monitor home-based programs. Its role under § 115.30(3) is administrative: receiving and retaining PI-1206 forms and making them available to the child’s resident school district. The DPI’s homeschool page states explicitly that it “does not provide personal consultation and technical assistance regarding home-based private educational programs.”

Wisconsin DPI homeschool page: dpi.wi.gov/parental-education-options/home-based

Annual enrollment report (PI-1206)

Every family operating a home-based private educational program in Wisconsin must file the PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report with the DPI once per year (Wis. Stat. § 115.30(3)). The report is submitted online through the DPI’s HOMER system at sms.dpi.wi.gov/HomeSchoolParent.

Deadline: October 15 of each school year. Registration for a given school year typically opens July 1.

If withdrawing mid-year: A PI-1206 must be filed on or before the date the child stops attending their previous school. Do not wait until October 15 if you are starting your program partway through the school year.

The PI-1206 has two sections:

  • Section I — records the total number of children you are homeschooling and their grade levels, based on enrollment as of the third Friday in September
  • Section II — your signed affirmation that your program meets all four statutory requirements under Wis. Stat. § 118.165(1)

The form is not an application. The DPI does not review the substantive content of your program, approve your curriculum, or respond with permission to proceed. Once submitted, your resident school district receives access to your report. You are responsible for printing and retaining a copy for your own records. The DPI retains submitted forms for seven years.

A new PI-1206 must be submitted for each school year. There is no permanent registration that carries over.

Program requirements

Wis. Stat. § 118.165(1) sets out four requirements a home-based private educational program must satisfy to qualify as a lawful substitute for school attendance:

  1. Primary purpose — The primary purpose of the program must be to provide private or religious-based education.
  2. Private control — The program must be privately controlled.
  3. Instruction hours and subjects — The program must provide at least 875 hours of sequentially progressive fundamental instruction per year in the following six subject areas:
    • Reading
    • Language arts
    • Mathematics
    • Social studies
    • Science
    • Health
  4. Not for evasion — The program must not be operated for the purpose of avoiding or circumventing compulsory school attendance requirements.

The statute does not specify a minimum number of instructional days, hours per day, or months of the school year. It sets an annual total of 875 hours and requires coverage of the six subjects. How those hours are distributed across the year, what curriculum or materials you use within each subject, and how your instructional day is structured are all decisions left entirely to the family.

“Sequentially progressive” means your instruction builds in a logical sequence appropriate to the child’s level — the statute does not prescribe scope and sequence, grade-level expectations, or any alignment with Wisconsin’s public school academic standards.

There is no requirement that instruction be provided by a credentialed teacher. Parents are not required to hold a degree, teaching license, or any other credential. Instruction may be provided by the parent, the guardian, or by a person designated by the parent or guardian.

Instructor qualifications

Wisconsin imposes no credential requirement on the person providing home instruction. The parent, guardian, or a person they designate may provide instruction. There is no teaching license requirement, no bachelor’s degree requirement, and no competency examination.

This has been true since the original 1984 law and has not changed. The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s Popanz ruling and the subsequent legislative process both reflected the position that parents should control not only what is taught but who teaches it.

If you hire a tutor, enroll your child in co-op classes, or use an online instructor, those arrangements work within this framework — the designated instructor need not hold any state credential.

Testing

Wisconsin does not require home-based private educational program students to take any standardized test. There is no annual assessment requirement, no minimum score to demonstrate, and no evaluation that must be submitted to the DPI or to the school district.

Families may choose to test their children voluntarily for their own purposes — college preparation, gauging academic progress, or portfolio documentation. Common choices among Wisconsin homeschoolers include the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-10), and the CAT (California Achievement Test). Testing companies and co-ops offer proctoring options, and in some areas local private schools and testing centers provide group testing opportunities.

The DPI does not administer, coordinate, or pay for any testing for home-based private educational program students.

Record keeping

Wisconsin law does not require homeschool families to create or maintain any particular set of records, submit a portfolio, keep attendance logs, or make their records available for inspection by any state or local agency.

The only document you are legally required to produce is the annual PI-1206. You are responsible for retaining your own copy of that form.

Keeping records is still a practical good idea for your family’s benefit:

  • Transcripts and course descriptions — High school students applying to colleges, technical colleges, or the military will need transcripts. Wisconsin’s DPI does not issue or certify homeschool diplomas or transcripts; you create and maintain these documents yourself. Most colleges accept parent-generated transcripts, particularly when accompanied by ACT or SAT scores.
  • Diplomas — Parents may create a diploma upon a student’s completion of their program. There is no state template and no DPI validation. A parent-created diploma is the standard outcome for Wisconsin homeschool graduates.
  • Hour logs — Keeping a general log of instructional hours helps you confirm you are on track to reach 875 hours. You do not submit this log to anyone.
  • Copies of PI-1206 submissions — DPI retains these for seven years; keeping your own copies is prudent.

No state scholarships or ESA for homeschoolers

Wisconsin does not offer an education savings account (ESA), homeschool voucher, or state stipend for families operating a home-based private educational program.

Parental Choice Programs (MPCP, RPCP, WPCP)

Wisconsin’s three parental choice voucher programs — the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP), the Racine Parental Choice Program (RPCP), and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) — allow eligible students to attend participating private schools using state-funded scholarships. These programs are governed by Wis. Stat. §§ 118.60 and 119.23.

Home-based private educational programs are not participating entities under any of these programs. A student enrolled in a home-based program is not a private school student under Wisconsin law — they are a homeschooler. Enrolling in a choice program would require the student to attend a participating accredited private school and would end the student’s legal status as a homeschooler.

Families who are interested in the choice programs for a child should understand that choosing the WPCP or MPCP means that child is no longer in a home-based program; the two structures do not overlap.

Income limits and eligibility details for the 2026-27 school year are available at dpi.wi.gov/parental-education-options/choice-programs/student-applications.

Special Needs Scholarship Program (SNSP)

The Special Needs Scholarship Program (Wis. Stat. § 115.7915) provides state-funded scholarships for students with disabilities to attend participating private schools. Like the choice programs, it is structured for private school enrollment, not for home-based programs. A homeschooled student with an IEP who receives a SNSP scholarship would need to enroll in a participating private school.

Homeschooled students with disabilities retain the right to request a special education evaluation from their resident school district, but the district is not obligated to continue providing services once a child is in a home-based program. Families navigating special education in a homeschool context should consult with the Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association or an education advocate.

What Wisconsin does not have

As of June 2026, Wisconsin has not enacted a universal ESA, home-based education stipend, or any direct funding mechanism for homeschoolers. The Wisconsin homeschooling community, represented primarily by the Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association, has historically advocated against seeking government funding on the grounds that public money reliably comes with increased regulation.

Part-time public school attendance

Wis. Stat. § 118.53 allows homeschooled students to attend up to two courses per semester at any Wisconsin public school. A student may take one course in each of two different school districts but may not attend more than two courses total per semester.

Each school district sets its own minimum standards for admission to its courses. These standards can include things like prerequisites for specific classes. The district is not required to offer any particular course to a homeschooled student, and the student is not guaranteed a spot.

To participate, contact the administration office of the school district offering the course you are interested in. Logistical details — timing, transportation, fees — vary by district.

Interscholastic athletics and extracurricular activities

Wis. Stat. § 118.133(1) requires every school board to permit resident pupils enrolled in a home-based private educational program to participate in interscholastic athletics on the same basis and to the same extent as pupils enrolled in the district. A similar provision (§ 118.133(2)) applies to other extracurricular activities offered by the district.

To participate, the parent or person providing instruction in the home-based program must provide a written statement that the student meets the participation requirements for the sport or activity — for example, a statement that the student has obtained and maintained satisfactory grades. Participation, uniform, and equipment fees that apply to other students may also apply to homeschooled students.

Questions about sports eligibility should be directed to the athletic director of the relevant school district and to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) at wiaawi.org.

Withdrawing from public school

Wisconsin does not require state permission to begin homeschooling. You do not need to wait for approval from the DPI or your school district before starting.

If your child is currently enrolled in public school, the practical steps are:

  1. Notify the school in writing that you are withdrawing your child to begin a home-based private educational program under Wis. Stat. § 118.15(4). A brief written notice to the school principal or district office is sufficient. No specific form is prescribed by state law. The district removes the child from its enrollment rolls.
  2. File the PI-1206 with the DPI by October 15 if instruction begins at the start of the school year, or by the date your child leaves school if you are withdrawing mid-year.
  3. Begin instruction. The PI-1206 is notice to the state, not a permission slip. You may begin homeschooling as soon as your child is no longer enrolled in their previous school.

The school district cannot legally condition withdrawal on you providing lesson plans, curriculum details, or a teaching plan. The right to home educate is established by statute.

Returning to public school: A student who has been in a home-based program and wants to return to the resident public school may enroll at any time. Grade placement is determined by the district’s own policies. Keeping organized course records and any voluntary test results makes the transition smoother, particularly at the high school level.

Support and community

Wisconsin’s homeschool community is active and well-established, built in large part by the families who shaped the 1984 law.

  • Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association (WHPA) — homeschooling-wpa.org — the primary statewide advocacy and information organization, founded in 1984 as the Wisconsin Parents Association. WHPA monitors state legislation, publishes current guidance on the PI-1206 process and Wisconsin statutes, maintains a partnership program with local support groups, and provides a question-answering committee for families with specific situations. The organization is explicitly nonpartisan and does not advocate on educational methods or curriculum.
  • Local homeschool support groups — WHPA maintains a local support group partnership program. Many regional groups across Wisconsin run academic co-ops, enrichment programs, field trip networks, and social events. Contact WHPA or search local community boards to find groups in your county.
  • Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) — dpi.wi.gov/parental-education-options/home-based — the DPI’s homeschool page links to the HOMER PI-1206 filing system, the official FAQ document, and contact information for questions about the enrollment report process. The DPI does not evaluate or provide guidance on curriculum, teaching methods, or educational philosophy.
  • Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) — wiaawi.org — for questions about homeschooled students’ eligibility to participate in interscholastic sports.

Families looking for a reference point for grade-level academic expectations may consult Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards, available through the DPI at dpi.wi.gov/standards. These standards carry no legal weight for home-based programs and are not required reading — they are one tool among many that families use to gauge the depth and scope of their programs.