Homeschool benefits: Visalia Unified School District
Charter Home School Academy (CHSA), a Visalia Unified public charter, supports parent-led homeschooling in grades TK-8 with a weekly one-on-one teacher meeting, a weekly in-person class in English language arts and math, tutoring, and optional Friday electives. Any resident of Tulare County or an adjacent county can apply by calling the front office at 559-622-3273.
Who qualifies
Lives in or near Tulare County
Admission is open to any resident of Tulare County or an adjacent county. If applicants exceed capacity, siblings of current students, children of staff, and local residents get priority.
Is in grades TK-8
The in-person homeschool program serves TK-8. A virtual program serves grades 5-8, with daily Zoom instruction and on-site assessments every two weeks.
Signs the Master Agreement
Parent, student, and teacher sign an agreement that sets out each one's responsibilities, after a briefing on the school's policies.
Turns in weekly work samples
In-person program students submit work samples every week and attend the weekly meeting and class.
What the program gives you
The schedule comes from CHSA's program requirements, academic classes, tutoring, and electives pages.
- One-on-one meeting with your child's teacher
- Weekly, 1 hour
- In-person ELA and math class
- Weekly, 2 or 4 hours
- Live instruction for grades K-3
- 30 minutes a school day
- Electives with Work-ED, grades TK-8
- Fridays, 1-3 p.m.
- ELA and math intervention
- As assigned
CHSA's pages list no cash allotment or curriculum budget, so ask the front office what materials the school provides.
How to enroll
- Before you enroll
Call the front office
Call 559-622-3273, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., to talk through the program. The office is closed in summer, when questions go to knaylon@vusd.org.
- At enrollment
Bring documents
Bring immunization records including TB, a birth certificate or passport, proof of residency, and a physical for kindergarten and grade 7.
- Before starting
Sign the Master Agreement
Attend the briefing on CHSA's philosophy and policies, then sign the agreement with your child and the teacher.
- Every week
Meet, attend, and submit
Come to the one-hour teacher meeting and the academic class, and turn in work samples.
What it includes
Included
- A credentialed teacher partner
- Weekly in-person ELA and math class
- Daily live instruction for grades K-3
- Math intervention groups and tutoring
- Optional Friday electives
Not included
- Independent private homeschool status
- Grades 9-12
- Cash allotments for outside purchases
Good to know
CHSA calls itself homeschooling
CHSA describes itself as homeschooling, not independent study: you teach your child at home and partner with a credentialed teacher. Your child is enrolled in a public charter school, so you follow its requirements instead of filing a private school affidavit.
Who to contact about enrolling
The front office at 211 W. Tulare Avenue, Visalia, explains the program and handles enrollment.
knaylon@vusd.org 559-622-3273 Enrollment 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
- How much time does CHSA take?
- 3.5 to 5 hours a day of guiding your child, plus bringing them to campus for the weekly class and teacher meeting.
- Is there an online option?
- Yes, for grades 5-8. Virtual Program students are on Zoom every day with cameras on, submit work digitally daily, and come on site for assessments every two weeks.
- What if the program is full?
- Openings go first to siblings of current students, children of staff, and residents of the district or county, then to a waiting list.
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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