Homeschool benefits and savings in Iron Mountain
The Iron Mountain Homeschool Partnership lets your homeschooled child take up to five elective courses tuition free through Iron Mountain Public Schools' Shared Time program, with a district Chromebook and optional in-person classes on Thursdays. Students in grades K-12 who are not full-time Iron Mountain students qualify: register online, then attend a one-hour orientation.
Who qualifies
Homeschools for core subjects
Shared Time is for students who are not full-time Iron Mountain students. You keep teaching language arts, math, science, and social studies at home, and your child adds district electives.
Registers and attends orientation
Submit the 2026-2027 IMHP Registration form, then book an orientation slot. The district says your child is not officially registered until you attend.
Checks in with a mentor weekly
Each student is assigned a mentor and must complete a two-way communication log every week. Missing two logs in a row, not logging in for 10 school days, or falling more than 25% behind can lead to a truancy letter.
Chooses non-core electives
Shared-time courses come from art, culinary, film, music, business and career, computers and technology, physical education and health, world languages, and Advanced Placement.
What the partnership gives you
The terms come from Iron Mountain's homeschool page and its 2026-2027 Core Virtual and Homeschool Partnership Student Handbook, revised July 2026.
- Elective credits for a shared-time student
- Up to 5
- Tuition and required course materials
- Free
- District Chromebook
- Provided
- Thursday in-person class periods
- 5 a day
- Thursday class season
- Sept. 10, 2026 to May 27, 2027
- District transportation to Thursday classes
- None
The district may charge a refundable deposit against damage to textbooks and supplies, and it bills for lost or damaged district property, so ask what deposit applies to your child's courses.
From registering to the school year
- Before you enroll
Register online
Fill out the 2026-2027 IMHP Registration form linked from the district's homeschool page.
- After registering
Attend orientation
Book an orientation time on the Orientation Calendar and plan for about an hour. If you are enrolling more than three students, book two blocks or message the director.
- Every week
Work online and log mentor contact
Your child works through each course online at any time and completes the weekly two-way communication log with the assigned mentor.
- Thursdays, Sept. 10 to May 27
Join optional in-person classes
Extended learning opportunities (ELOs) meet from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the partnership building, 800 East E St., and accompany online courses. Parents drive students there and back.
- Leaving or at year end
Return district materials
Give the director at least one week's notice before withdrawing, and return Chromebooks, books, and instruments before the transfer is approved.
What it includes
Included
- Up to five online elective courses
- A district Chromebook
- Optional Thursday in-person classes
- Bay College and tech center courses within the elective limit
- After-school activities such as sports, dances, and clubs
Not included
- Core subjects for shared-time students
- Transportation to Thursday classes
- An Iron Mountain diploma
- Fees for extracurricular and noncurricular activities
- Meals for students left on the breakfast and lunch list
Good to know
Courses cost you nothing
Instruction and required course materials are free. You may pay for extracurriculars, a refundable deposit on books and supplies, and meals if your child is on the Thursday breakfast and lunch list.
Thursday classes are optional
The Thursday ELOs are optional and only go with an online course; your child cannot take an ELO by itself. Parents and siblings may wait in the building during the day.
Who to contact about the partnership
Samantha Roberts, the partnership's director, handles registration, schedules, absences, and withdrawals.
imhp-robertss@imschools.org 906-282-9817 Homeschool Partnership page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Michigan
No state report under the parent-led homeschool exemption, MCL 380.1561(3)(f). The nonpublic-school route has separate reporting; an annual membership report is required for eligibility for auxiliary services.
Michigan sets these rules:
- Subjects: Under exemption (f), provide an organized program in reading, spelling, math, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. The nonpublic-school route requires subjects comparable to local public schools.
- Testing: Michigan does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: No prescribed homeschool portfolio or attendance-record format under exemption (f). Keep progress records for transfers; the nonpublic-school route has separate reporting requirements.
- Teachers: Under exemption (f), the instructor must be the child’s parent or legal guardian; no degree or teaching credential is required. MDE requires a reporting nonpublic homeschool parent to have at least a bachelor’s degree unless a sincerely held religious objection applies.
Read the Michigan homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Michigan
Questions parents ask
- Can a shared-time student earn an Iron Mountain diploma?
- No. The diploma and graduation ceremony come with full-time Core Virtual enrollment: four core courses and three electives. Shared-time high schoolers get letter grades, and K-8 shared-time students are graded satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
- Can my high schooler take college classes?
- Yes. A Bay College course or a tech center course can count toward the five shared-time elective credits. Ask your assigned counselor which dual enrollment charges the district pays.
- Will the district bus my child to Thursday classes?
- No. Core Virtual and Shared Time students are not eligible for district transportation to the ELOs.
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.
Find benefits for your ZIP code