Homeschool benefits: Warner Unified School District

Excel Academy Charter School, a tuition-free public independent study charter, gives each Personalized Path student 2026-27 instructional funds of $3,400 for grades TK-8 or $3,900 for grades 9-12 to spend through approved providers on curriculum, classes, and supplies. Families in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties can enroll, and the parent stays the primary teacher under an Excel teacher of record.

By Andrew Garber, founder of TheHomeschoolingCompany. Reviewed August 25, 2026.

Who qualifies

1. Lives in a county Excel serves

   Warner Unified charters Excel for Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties, and Helendale School District charters it for Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Proof of residency is one of the enrollment documents.

2. Enrolls as an Excel student

   Your child becomes a public charter student. A parent signs the Master Agreement before admission, and continued enrollment depends on meeting it.

3. Brings homeschool records

   Students coming from a private homeschool submit the standard documents, may take placement tests for some secondary courses, and use the Private School Affidavit (PSA) Transcript Summary for high school credit.

4. Buys only approved, secular items

   Funds pay approved content and community providers (CCPs) for educational, non-sectarian materials and services that fit your child's learning plan.

What it is worth

Excel's 2026-27 handbook lists these full-year amounts, paid in two allotments, for students enrolled at the start of the year.

TK-8, Personalized Path

$3,400

TK-8 allotment in August and December

$1,700 each

Grades 9-12, Personalized Path

$3,900

Grades 9-12 allotment in August and December

$1,950 each

K-8, Virtual Path

$2,000

Funds depreciate daily from the start of the year based on your enrollment date, so a student who enrolls in October gets less; ask admissions for the amount on your start date.

From enrolling to spending it

1. Before you apply

   Create a RegOnline account

   Start the application on the Excel website and upload proof of residency, legal ID, birth certificate, immunization records, and, for high school, transcripts.

2. After acceptance

   Choose an academic path

   Attend or watch an All About Excel webinar, then email admissions with your choice of the Personalized or Virtual Path.

3. Before any purchase

   Place a purchase order

   Order through the Online Purchasing System and get it approved by your teacher of record before you use a service or receive materials. Excel does not reimburse families.

4. By April 9, 2027

   Submit the last orders

   After this date no purchase orders can be submitted or changed, and unused funds expire rather than carrying into the next year.

5. When your child leaves

   Return school materials

   Everything bought with instructional funds belongs to Excel Academy and is on loan, so return it when your child disenrolls.

What it pays for

Covered

• Curriculum and textbooks from approved providers
• Tutoring, enrichment, art, music, and PE classes
• School and office supplies
• School-sponsored field trips
• Educational software

Not covered

• Religious or sectarian materials and services
• Direct reimbursement to families
• Food
• High-risk activities such as skiing, skydiving, and driver training
• Transfers between siblings' funds

Excel pays approved providers directly through purchase orders, and families must choose basic, economical versions of items when available.

Good to know

• Purchases are never reimbursed

  The handbook says Excel does not reimburse families under any circumstances, so every purchase goes through an approved purchase order first.

Who to contact

Admissions answers enrollment and path questions, and your teacher of record and the purchasing team decide whether an order can use instructional funds.

admissions@excelacademy.education 949-387-7822 2026-27 handbook

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

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