Homeschool benefits: Bloomington Public School District
Bloomington Public Schools lets resident homeschooled students enroll part time: grades 1-8 can take music and physical education, and grades 9-12 can take up to eight high school courses a year. Full-time students get first pick of seats, and district online courses carry tuition.
Who qualifies
Lives in Bloomington
The district accepts shared-time inquiries only from residents of Independent School District 271, Bloomington Public Schools.
Homeschools full time legally
Your child must attend a homeschool full time that complies with Minnesota's Compulsory Instruction Law. Bloomington asks for the Initial Registration Form or Letter of Intent to Continue by October 1 each year.
Is in grades 1-12
Students in grades 9-12 can take any curricular offering.
Meets course prerequisites
Your child must have finished every prerequisite for the course and may have to show the needed skill or knowledge level.
What your child can take
The limits come from Bloomington Public Schools Policy and Regulation 510.5, Shared-Time Students, approved by the school board on January 26, 2026.
- High school courses (grades 9-12)
- 8 a year
- Science lab courses
- 1 a term
- Classes for grades 1-8
- Music and physical education
- District online courses
- Tuition charged
- State and norm-referenced tests
- You pay test and scoring
Only courses that earn the district state shared-time aid are open, and full-time students get first pick, so ask the principal which sections have room before you plan your year.
How to enroll part time
- By October 1
Register your homeschool
Send the Initial Registration Form, or the Letter of Intent to Continue if you registered before, to the Educational Services Center.
- Before the term
Ask the principal
Send your request to the principal of the school where you want your child to enroll, usually the high school in your attendance area. The principal recommends approval or disapproval.
- After approval
Set the schedule and ride
Work out class times with the principal or a designee. If you want busing, ask the Transportation Department to arrange it.
- During the course
Follow school rules
Your child follows the same attendance, grading, and conduct rules as full-time students and leaves campus or goes to a supervised study hall between classes.
- Each year
File again
Submit the Letter of Intent to Continue by October 1 and request courses again for the new year.
What it includes
Included
- High school courses for grades 9-12
- Bus rides from an existing stop when space allows
- School lunch purchase between classes
- Courses that require co-curricular participation
Not included
- A Bloomington high school diploma
- Honor rolls and class rank
- Tuition for district online courses
- Cost of state and norm-referenced tests
The district counts accepted shared-time students as enrolled for state aid, and that aid goes to the school building where your child takes classes.
Who to contact about shared time
The homeschool program secretary at the Educational Services Center takes homeschool registrations and can point you to the right principal for course requests.
hgryniewski@isd271.org 952-681-6484 Homeschool information
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Minnesota
You must file the initial report by October 1 of the first instructional year after the child turns seven, or after establishing a new resident district. You must file within 15 days of withdrawing a child seven or older from public school, or of moving out of a district. You must file annual continuation letters by October 1 for the required ages.
Minnesota sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, economics, government, citizenship, health, and PE. Instruction and materials are in English unless the statutory language-program exception applies.
- Testing: Annual nationally normed achievement test for ages 7–16, plus certain 16–17-year-olds first reported after age 16. Agree on the test, administration, and location with the superintendent. State-recognized accredited instruction is exempt.
- Records: Unless the accreditation exemption applies, keep schedules, materials, assessment methods, and proof of testing. Keep immunization or exemption records for five years after adulthood. File immunization statements by October 1 of the first homeschool year and grade 7.
- Teachers: A parent may teach without a degree if the assessment requirements are met. Other instructors need a qualifying license, licensed supervision, bachelor’s degree, or recognized accredited-school route.
Read the Minnesota homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Minnesota
Questions parents ask
- Will Bloomington shared-time classes earn my student a diploma?
- No. Shared-time students do not qualify for a Bloomington high school diploma, honor rolls, class rank, or other recognition given to full-time students.
- Can my student attend a Bloomington high school outside our attendance area?
- Yes, by requesting an intradistrict transfer in the same way public school students do. That request follows the district's intradistrict transfer policies.
- Does the district bus my student to classes?
- Yes, if there is room. Your child rides from an existing bus stop at the scheduled time if you meet the district's distance guidelines and your child qualifies for state transportation aid. Ask the Transportation Department to set it up.
- Can my child take standardized tests at the school?
- Yes. Homeschooled shared-time students can take state tests and nationally norm-referenced tests at the public school as arranged with the principal, and your homeschool is charged for the test and scoring.
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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