Homeschool benefits: Lakeport Unified School District
Lakeport Alternative (Home School) School is Lakeport Unified's public independent study program: your child learns from home under a supervising teacher and is entitled to the materials, devices, internet access, and services that other Lakeport Unified students in the same grade receive. Enrollment runs through a yearly Master Agreement, and your child can return to a classroom within five instructional days.
Who qualifies
Enrolls in Lakeport Unified
Your child becomes a Lakeport Unified public school student at Lakeport Alternative School, which is part of the Lakeport Alternative Education Center at 2508 Howard Avenue.
Signs the Master Agreement
You, your student, and the supervising teacher sign an independent study agreement for the school year that lists courses, reporting times, and how work is turned in.
Chooses independent study freely
No student may be required to take part, and every student keeps the option of returning to the classroom.
Keeps up with assigned work
Assignments are due no more than one week after they are given. Missing three days of assigned work triggers a review of whether independent study still fits.
What the program gives you
The terms come from the Lakeport Alternative School page and Lakeport Unified's independent study Master Agreement template.
- Materials, devices, and internet access
- Enough to do the work
- Live instruction, TK-3
- Daily opportunities
- Live instruction, grades 4-8
- Daily contact, weekly lessons
- Live instruction, grades 9-12
- At least weekly
- High school courses
- District courses, including a-g
- Return to the classroom
- Within 5 instructional days
The page promises adequate devices and connectivity but does not name a device or a dollar amount, so ask what equipment your child would receive.
How it works
- Before you enroll
Ask for a conference
You can request a student-parent-educator conference before enrolling to ask how independent study would work for your child.
- At enrollment
Sign the Master Agreement
The agreement sets your child's courses, supervising teacher, and the duration of the agreement for the school year.
- Every Friday by 3 p.m.
Turn in the week's work
Submit assignments online, by email, or at the school office, and meet the teacher live on Google Meet or in person at scheduled times.
- Each quarter
Quarterly progress meeting
Your student and a parent meet the teacher at the Lakeport Alternative Education Center or on Google Meet to review academic progress.
What it includes
Included
- Curriculum adopted by the Lakeport Unified board
- Devices and internet access adequate for the work
- Supervision by a teacher
- Support for English learners and students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan
- District services other students in the same grade receive
Good to know
Independent study students get a device and internet
The district says independent study students are entitled to devices and internet connectivity adequate to take part and complete assigned work.
Who to contact about enrolling
The district office at 2508 Howard Avenue, Lakeport, answers questions about enrolling in Lakeport Alternative School.
707-262-3000 Lakeport Alternative School page
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
- Does my child have to take state tests at Lakeport Alternative?
- Yes. All independent study students take local district assessments and state tests unless medically exempted.
- Can my high schooler take college-prep courses?
- Yes. High school students get access to all district courses for graduation and those approved by the University of California or California State University under the a-g admissions criteria.
- What if independent study is not working?
- You can move your child back to in-person school, and the district must make that transition within five instructional days for students in the program 15 school days or more.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Local classes cover the subjects they offer. We teach the remaining subjects, so a local class can stay part of the year without becoming the whole curriculum.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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