Homeschool benefits: Ventura Unified School District
Homestead is Ventura Unified's K-8 public independent study school: you guide your child's learning at home, a credentialed teacher meets with you and your child in person every week, and on-campus enrichment classes run every Tuesday and Thursday. Call the Homestead office at 805-289-1893 to set up the pre-enrollment conference that starts enrollment.
Who qualifies
Enrolls in Ventura Unified
Your child becomes a Ventura Unified public school student under an independent study contract, the Master Agreement, which you, your child, and the teacher sign in person.
Gets a transfer approved
Families inside the district boundary file a K-5 intradistrict transfer request with two proofs of residency. Families outside the boundary file an inter-district transfer request with the district's Student Support Services.
Is in grades K-8
Homestead serves kindergarten through grade 8. Students in grades 6-8 can also dual enroll at a Ventura Unified middle school for some in-person classes.
Turns in weekly work
Kindergartners submit at least 15 hours of work a week and students in grades 1-8 submit 20 hours, reviewed at the weekly teacher meeting.
What the program gives you
The terms come from Homestead's About, CLASS ACTS, and enrollment pages and the Homestead Family Handbook.
- Teacher meeting with student and parent
- Weekly, in person
- Morning class meeting on Zoom
- Daily, 15 minutes to 1 hour
- CLASS ACTS enrichment on campus
- Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Middle school dual enrollment
- Grades 6-8
- School device
- Check out if you need one
CLASS ACTS are not held the day before or after a holiday, so teachers and students can reschedule weekly meetings in short weeks.
How to enroll
- First step
Book a pre-enrollment conference
Call the Homestead office to talk through independent study for your child, in person, by phone, or by video.
- After the conference
Apply and request a transfer
New-to-district families complete the online pre-enrollment application, then file an intradistrict or inter-district transfer request depending on where you live.
- After approval
Sign the Master Agreement
Homestead schedules an in-person meeting where you, your child, and the teacher discuss and sign the independent study contract.
- Each week
Meet and submit work
Join daily morning Zoom meetings, complete the weekly hours at home, and bring work to the in-person teacher meeting.
What it includes
Included
- Credentialed teacher supervision
- Weekly in-person teacher meetings
- Daily virtual class meetings
- A loaner device if your child has none
Good to know
This is public independent study, not homeschooling
Homestead describes itself as combining the flexibility of home school with credentialed teachers and set curricula, but your child is enrolled as a Ventura Unified student, not as a private homeschool student.
Families outside Ventura Unified need a transfer
You can enroll with an approved inter-district transfer. The Homestead office prepares a placement packet after you request the transfer with Ventura Unified's Student Support Services.
Who to contact about enrolling
The Homestead office schedules pre-enrollment conferences and Master Agreement meetings and answers questions about transfers.
805-289-1893 How to enroll at Homestead
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
- What happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays?
- Students are invited to campus for CLASS ACTS, enrichment classes in academics, science and engineering, art, cooking, music, gardening, and tutoring.
- Does my child need a computer?
- If your child has none, the Homestead office can lend one. Students who transfer in can keep the device from their previous Ventura Unified school.
- How much will my child do each day online?
- 15 minutes to an hour, in a morning virtual class meeting whose length depends on grade. The rest of the week's work is done at home on a flexible schedule.
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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