Homeschool benefits: Nemo Vista School District
Nemo Vista School District lets homeschooled students who live in the district try out for and join its athletics, fine arts, and clubs, with district bus transportation to activities on the same basis as enrolled students, and up to six academic courses a semester. Your child joins through one non-academic class tied to the activity, a test score at the 30th percentile or better, and a written request to the principal before the sign-up deadline.
Who qualifies
Legally homeschooled in Arkansas
Your child must be enrolled in an Arkansas home school under state law. File the notice of intent with the Superintendent by August 15 each year and mark that your child plans to join extracurricular activities.
Lives in the district
Students whose parents live in the district can join activities in their resident school zone. Non-residents need written agreement from both superintendents, or the activity must be unavailable at their resident school.
Scores at the 30th percentile
Within the past 12 months, your child needs a score at the 30th percentile or better on the Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition, another nationally recognized norm-referenced test, or a state-approved test.
Takes one tied class
Your child registers for no more than one non-academic course tied to the activity and attends it from no later than the 11th day of the semester.
What your child gets
The terms come from Nemo Vista Board Policies 4.56.2 and 4.59 in the district's 2026-27 handbook.
- Tryouts and participation
- Equal chance
- Required paid instruction
- None
- Transportation to activities
- Same as enrolled
- Required class at school
- 1 non-academic
- Academic courses a semester
- Up to 6
- Participation and activity fees
- Same as enrolled
Families drive homeschoolers to and from academic courses under Policy 4.59; district transportation applies only to extracurricular and athletic activities.
How to join an activity
- By August 15
File the notice of intent
Send the homeschool notice to the Superintendent and indicate that your child intends to take part in extracurricular activities.
- Before the sign-up deadline
Request to participate
Mail or hand deliver a written request to the school principal before the sign-up, tryout, or participation deadline set for enrolled students, with a qualifying test score from the past 12 months.
- By day 11 of the semester
Start the tied class
Register for the one non-academic course that matches the activity and attend it regularly.
- Once selected
Meet team requirements
Follow conduct rules, attend practices, take required drug tests, turn in physicals and permission slips, and pay the same activity fees as other students.
- By June 1
Get approved before grades 7-10
Resident homeschoolers not approved by June 1 of the year they enter grade 7, 8, 9, or 10 must wait 365 days before joining.
What it includes
Included
- Athletics
- Fine arts programs
- Clubs and special interest groups
- Transportation to activities
- Academic courses, up to six a semester
Not included
- Transportation to academic courses
- Team participation and activity fees
- Guaranteed spots on teams
Good to know
District homeschoolers can try out for teams
A homeschooled child who lives in the district and meets the policy can play on a team. Homeschoolers who meet it have an equal chance to try out and take part, though a spot is not guaranteed.
Instruction is free, but activity fees apply
Students do not pay for individual or group instruction to take part in an interscholastic activity, but homeschoolers pay the same participation or activity fees as other students.
Your child does not attend school all day
Your child takes one non-academic course tied to the activity and must be at school only when the activity requires other participants to be there.
Who to contact about participation
The district administrative office in Center Ridge answers homeschool questions; activity requests go to the school principal, and the grades 6-12 office is at 501-893-2811.
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Arkansas
You must file the annual notice of intent by August 15. If withdrawing a child from public school after August 15, file at least five school days before the withdrawal, unless an exception applies.
Arkansas sets these rules:
- Subjects: Arkansas does not require specific subjects or a particular curriculum.
- Testing: Arkansas does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Arkansas does not require homeschool records.
- Teachers: Arkansas does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Arkansas also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- The Education Freedom Account pays 90% of the state's per-student foundation funding for students in private school or home school, under each year's application rules.
Read the Arkansas homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Arkansas
Questions parents ask
- Can my child take a regular class at the school?
- Yes. Under Policy 4.59, resident homeschoolers can request up to six academic courses a semester by August 1 for fall and December 1 for spring, but you provide transportation to those classes.
- We just left public school. Can my child play right away?
- Usually, unless your child played a varsity sport at the resident district in the past 365 days. In that case, your child must wait out the 365 days for varsity athletics, though tryouts and practices may be allowed.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Put eligible education funds toward a curriculum that teaches the courses and grades the work. Check the program’s purchasing rules before paying.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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