Homeschool benefits: Buckeye Union Elementary School District
Cottonwood School, a tuition-free TK-12 public charter, gives each enrolled homeschooled student a yearly instructional funds budget for curriculum, materials, classes, and approved skill lessons, chosen with a Homeschool Teacher (HST). Families in Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties can enroll; the school does not publish a dollar amount because it changes each year with state funding.
Who qualifies
Lives in a served county
Cottonwood serves families in Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento counties.
Enrolls at Cottonwood
Your child becomes a Cottonwood student in grades TK-12. Open enrollment runs each spring, and later applications go on a waitlist.
Meets with an HST
Your Homeschool Teacher meets with your family at least once every 20 school days, usually about an hour per student.
Turns in a work sample
Each learning period, you report the concepts and activities covered and submit a work sample, and you track daily attendance and engagement.
What it is worth
Cottonwood's FAQ says each student's yearly budget is based on average daily attendance and changes with the state budget each year.
- Tuition
- Free
- Instructional funds
- Yearly budget
- Funding periods
- 2 a year
- Mid-year enrollment
- Pro-rated
- Reimbursing your own purchases
- Not allowed
Ask the enrollment office for the current per-student amount, since the FAQ does not publish one.
From enrolling to spending it
- Each spring
Apply in open enrollment
Apply during the spring open enrollment period. Applications that arrive later are placed on a waitlist.
- After enrolling
Plan with your HST
Choose curriculum, materials, and classes with your Homeschool Teacher, who approves what the funds pay for.
- During the year
Order through the system
Place every purchase through Cottonwood's online ordering system and use approved vendors for classes and lessons.
- Every learning period
Report and meet
Log attendance, report what your child covered, submit a work sample, and meet with your HST.
- When your child leaves
Return school property
Books, computers, and other non-consumable items belong to the school. You pay for anything lost, stolen, damaged, or not returned.
What it pays for
Covered
- Curriculum and educational materials
- Classes approved by your HST
- Skill lessons such as gymnastics or martial arts from approved vendors
- Extracurriculars once core subjects are covered
Not covered
- Team sports
- Sectarian or religious materials
- Reimbursement of out-of-pocket purchases
- Purchases outside the online ordering system
Core academics in math, English, science, and history come first; the funds pay for extracurricular lessons only after those needs are met.
Good to know
The budget varies with attendance and funding
Cottonwood does not publish the amount. It depends on average daily attendance and the state budget, so email enrollment@cottonwoodk12.org for this year's number.
Who to contact
The enrollment office answers questions about eligibility, open enrollment, the waitlist, and instructional funds.
enrollment@cottonwoodk12.org 530-285-2003 Cottonwood FAQ
Homeschool rules and statewide help in California
For the home-based private-school pathway, file the Private School Affidavit during the October 1–15 annual filing period. New schools may use the online filing system during its separate August 1–June 30 opening window. Other legal pathways have their own rules.
California sets these rules:
- Subjects: The private-school pathway must provide instruction in English in the branches of study required for public schools; the parent chooses the materials and course sequence.
- Testing: California does not impose a statewide standardized-testing requirement on private-school students.
- Records: Private schools must keep the records required by California law, including attendance and faculty information.
- Teachers: Private-school instructors must be capable of teaching; California does not issue a separate homeschool-parent credential.
Read the California homeschooling guide See statewide programs in California
Questions parents ask
- Can I buy something and get repaid by Cottonwood?
- No. Out-of-pocket purchases are not reimbursed, so order through the school's system.
- Does my child take state tests?
- Usually. Cottonwood students work toward state standards, and the school follows state testing rules, so ask your HST which tests apply to your child's grade.
- What if we miss spring open enrollment?
- You can still apply, but your child goes on a waitlist, and funds are pro-rated if your child starts mid-year.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
TheHomeschoolingCompany offers one subject or a full curriculum. Check the program’s purchasing rules before using funds to pay for a plan.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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