Homeschool benefits: Poudre School District R-1
Poudre School District's PSD Options gives homeschooled children in grades K-8 a tuition-free day of hands-on enrichment classes each week, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., taught by licensed Colorado teachers at PSD Global Academy in Fort Collins. Families anywhere in Northern Colorado can enroll, whether or not they live inside PSD boundaries.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in grades K-8
Parents stay the primary instructors and Options supplements their teaching. Kindergartners must turn 5, and first graders 6, on or before October 1.
Lives in Northern Colorado
Options is open to families in the Northern Colorado region, regardless of whether they live within PSD boundaries.
Has no other public enrollment
Your child cannot also be in another publicly funded program, such as PSD Global Academy, Colorado Virtual Academy (COVA), or a second Options site. A non-public umbrella school with no public funds is fine.
Attends the full day
Students must stay for the whole program day to take part. Contact the school about unusual circumstances.
What the program gives you
The terms come from PSD Options' home page and FAQ.
- Tuition
- $0
- Class day
- 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Friday program
- About 120 students
- Monday program, started 2025-26
- Growing to about 75-90 students
- Teachers
- Licensed in Colorado
- Lunch
- Packed, or bought
Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All does not cover Options, because USDA funding rules exclude homeschool programs, so meals bought at school cost money.
How to enroll
- Mid-March
Fill out the interest form
The Options Interest Form opens for the next school year, and the registrar emails each family with next steps.
- During the school year
Ask about open seats
To join mid-year, email optinfo@psdschools.org with your child's name, a phone number, and grade level to learn whether space is open.
- May
Choose classes
Once the schedule is final, enrolled families pick classes for students in grades 3-8.
- August
Finish paperwork and start
Complete data verification and send immunization records or an exemption, plus a birth certificate for new students, before the first day of classes.
- Before next year
Re-enroll or exit
Current K-7 students roll over automatically. If your child is not returning, email the school and say what they will do instead.
What it includes
Included
- Hands-on enrichment classes
- Licensed Colorado teachers
- Time with other homeschool students
Not included
- Free school meals
- Enrollment in another publicly funded program
- Partial-day attendance
Who to contact about PSD Options
The Options front office and registrar, at 703 E. Prospect Road in Fort Collins, answer questions about enrollment, open seats, and attendance.
optinfo@psdschools.org 970-488-4600 Enrollment
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Colorado
Give written notice to a Colorado school district 14 days before starting and each year the program continues. Notice is not required before age 6; instruction need not begin until age 7 or continue after age 16.
Colorado sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide at least 172 days of instruction averaging four instructional contact hours daily, covering reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular instruction in the U.S. Constitution.
- Testing: Academic evaluation in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11: standardized test or evaluation by a qualified person.
- Records: Permanently keep attendance, test or evaluation results, and required immunization records; produce them on 14 days’ written notice when the superintendent has probable cause to believe the program is noncompliant.
- Teachers: Instruction is provided by a parent or legal guardian, or an adult relative designated by the parent; no teaching license is required.
Read the Colorado homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Colorado
Questions parents ask
- Are school meals free at PSD Options?
- No. Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All does not cover Options, because USDA funding rules exclude homeschool programs, so pack a lunch or pay for one.
- We use an umbrella school. Can we still join PSD Options?
- Yes, if the umbrella school takes no public funds. Ask the registrar if you are unsure.
- Can we travel during the year?
- Yes. Ask for excused absences ahead of time. Frequent unexcused absences can cost your child the spot, which then goes to a waitlisted student.
- How do I choose my child's grade?
- You pick the grade, weighing social, emotional, and cognitive maturity. The school notes that placement can affect later options such as high school credit and concurrent enrollment.
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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