MAINE
Homeschooling in Maine: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
One notice that reaches both your school unit and the Commissioner, 175 days across a named list of subjects, and an annual assessment you pick the form of. Here is exactly what Maine asks.
Homeschooling in Maine, Summarized
The Six Things Maine Asks of You
Legal in Maine
Yes
Compulsory ages
6 to 17
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — once each school year
within 10 days, or by September 1
Paperwork load
Medium
one assessment a year
Parent qualification
None required
Standardized testing
An annual assessment — five ways to do it
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Maine
What You Need to Know
Maine runs a home instruction program with all the operative requirements in one statute. File a written notice of intent with both your school unit and the Commissioner — the state portal covers both at once — teach 175 days across the named subjects, and complete an annual assessment of progress.
What Maine Asks of You
One notice, 175 days of teaching, one assessment.
Must do
File a written notice of intent with your school unit and the Commissioner
Teach 175 days across ten subjects, Maine studies and computer proficiency among them
Complete an annual assessment of academic progress
Keep copies of your filings until the program ends
Dates that matter
Within 10 days of starting, and by September 1 for new-year starts and renewals
September 1 again, when you file the annual assessment with your renewal
Good practice — not required
Use the state portal: one submission satisfies both the school unit and the Commissioner
Choose your assessment method early — five are accepted and they suit different children
Ten subjects are named. Maine studies is required once in grades 6-12, computer proficiency once in 7-12. The five assessment methods include a standardised test. No parent credential applies.
Maine wants an assessment of progress every September. StudyPug builds the year of evidence behind it while your child works.
Funding for Maine Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
Maine provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
No state education savings account, voucher or tax credit exists for homeschoolers. The town tuitioning program is sometimes mistaken for one: it pays for students in towns without a public school, and home instruction is not part of it.
To your family
$0 — no state funding
Town tuitioning
For towns without a school — not for home instruction
To apply for
Nothing — the notice is not an application
What StudyPug Handles for You
Not templates you fill in — records that fill themselves in.
Work-samples portfolio that assembles itself
Hours & attendance log that fills itself in
Progress reports you can download and share
Scope & Sequence export across the named subjects
One-click package to seed your annual assessment
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in Maine
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Maine?
Yes, as a home instruction program under 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A. Unusually, all the operative requirements sit in that one statute rather than being spread across regulation, which makes the obligations easy to check.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
No. Maine sets no teaching credential and no background requirement for the instructing parent — the statute is explicit about it, so there is no district discretion to add one.
Does Maine fund homeschooling?
No. There is no state education savings account, voucher or tax credit. The town tuitioning program — averaging around $14,801 in recent years — is sometimes mistaken for one, but it is for students living in towns without a public school and does not cover home instruction.
Who do I file the notice with?
Both your resident school unit and the Commissioner of Education. In practice that is one submission: the state's online portal covers both authorities, which saves the duplicate filing families used to make.
Which subjects and how many days?
One hundred and seventy-five days a year across a named list of ten: English and language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, health, library skills and the fine arts, plus Maine studies once in grades 6-12 and computer proficiency once in grades 7-12.
What are the five assessment methods?
You complete an annual assessment of academic progress and choose its form. A standardised test and a locally developed test are two options; review by an appropriate party is another. Whichever you use, it is filed by September 1 with your renewal notice.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
Keep copies of all your home-instruction filings until the program ends, and make them available to the Commissioner on request. Beyond that no portfolio or work-sample requirement applies — the annual assessment carries the evidential weight.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
Maine Home Instruction Requirements
→The notice, the days, the subjects and the assessment.
maine.gov/doe — Requirements
Home Instruction FAQ
→The Department's answers on filing and assessment.
maine.gov/doe — FAQ
20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A
→The statute that carries every operative requirement.
mainelegislature.org — § 5001-A
Other States:
Homeschooling in Maryland·Homeschooling in Massachusetts·Homeschooling in Michigan— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
Lessons, practice, and the records above — one family plan.
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StudyPug is a records tool, not legal advice. Homeschool rules, funding amounts, and deadlines change at least yearly — always confirm with the official sources above before you act. Requirements can also differ at the school-board or district level, so check with your local board or district too. We review every jurisdiction page and show you the date we last checked it; each requirement in your dashboard carries its own source and last-verified date.
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