Homeschool benefits: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District 196

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District 196 reimburses homeschool families up to $138.43 per student in 2026-27 for new, secular textbooks, learning materials, and a nationally normed test. You must have filed the state aid form by October 1, 2026, then send the district receipt form with receipts for items bought July 1 to April 30 by April 30, 2027. Other options include local programs.

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

District 196 homeschool nonpublic-aid reimbursement

Who qualifies

1. Registered with District 196

   File the online Initial Registration or Intent to Continue with Community Education by October 1, along with the district-approved test you will give.

2. Filed the state aid form

   The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Student Report for Aids must reach the Community Education office by October 1 for you to be eligible.

3. Buys new, secular materials

   Items must be secular, designed for individual student use, available for public schools to buy, and new. Items marked with a fish symbol or bought with gift certificates are not eligible.

4. Buys in the purchase window

   Only items bought in that window, for use in the current school year, are reimbursed.

What it is worth

District 196's 2026-27 receipt form lists an entitlement of $138.43 per student and reimburses shipping but not sales tax.

One student

$138.43

Two students

$276.86

Three students

$415.29

Shipping costs

Reimbursed

Sales tax

Not reimbursed

Items bought with the aid belong to District 196, which must be the registered owner and can ask for them back at the end of the school year.

From filing to reimbursement

1. By October 1, 2026

   File the aid form

   Turn in the MDE Report for Aid form to Community Education, 15180 Canada Avenue, Rosemount, with your registration or intent to continue.

2. Before you buy

   Check an item if unsure

   Email the product link to Lisa Coan at Homeschool.nonpublic@district196.org for approval before purchasing.

3. July 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027

   Buy eligible items

   Register District 196 as the owner where an item requires registration, and keep every receipt.

4. By April 30, 2027

   Submit receipts

   Send the District Aid Reimbursement Receipt Form, listing only the items to reimburse, by mail, email, or fax. Checks follow the fiscal services timeline.

5. Each year

   File again

   The state aid form is due to Community Education by October 1 every year.

What it pays for

Covered

• Textbooks, workbooks, and e-books
• Manipulatives, maps, models, and flashcards
• Educational games, audio books, and magazines
• Current-year subscriptions
• A nationally normed test that meets state law

Not covered

• ACT and Classic Learning Test (CLT) fees
• Items with religious affiliation
• Teacher manuals sold separately
• Calculators, cameras, and musical instruments
• Multiyear subscriptions and reference books

Teacher's editions count only when your student's textbook is sold only packaged with them.

Who to contact

Lisa Coan runs the homeschool program in Community Education and answers registration and reimbursement questions.

homeschool.nonpublic@district196.org 651-423-7722 Homeschool and Nonpublic Education

District 196 homeschool shared-time services

Who qualifies

1. Homeschools full time legally

   Your child must attend an approved home school full time that complies with Minnesota's Compulsory Instruction Law, and you report to the Community Education office by October 1 each year.

2. Is in grades 6-12

   Course enrollment is for middle and high school students, who must stay enrolled at home for most of the usual school day.

3. Meets course prerequisites

   Your child must have finished all prerequisites and may have to show the needed skill or knowledge level.

4. Fits an open seat

   Courses must be hard to offer at home and generate state shared-time aid, and seats depend on space. The district does not add sections for shared-time students.

What your child can use

The limits come from District 196 Administrative Regulations 640AR and 640.2.2AR, and the materials cap comes from the Minnesota Department of Education's 2026-27 rate memo.

Middle or high school courses, grades 6-12

2 per term

Science lab courses

1 per term

Curricular band, grades 5-12

At the public school

Guidance and counseling

Grades 7-12

Textbooks, materials, and tests

Up to $138.43 per student

State and norm-referenced tests at school

You pay test and scoring

District 196 keeps ownership of materials bought with aid, and receipts are due April 30, so ask the Community Education office for the reimbursement guidelines before you buy.

How to enroll in a course

1. By October 1

   Register and request aid

   Send your registration or intent to continue, test choice, immunizations, and the state aid form to the Community Education office.

2. One month before class

   Apply for a course

   Return Procedure 640.2.2P to the Director of Community Education, 15180 Canada Avenue, Rosemount, MN 55068, naming the courses and school.

3. Two weeks before class

   Preliminary decision

   The principal reviews scheduling and recommends a decision, and the director of secondary education gives preliminary approval or disapproval.

4. One week before class

   Final confirmation

   You receive final acceptance based on space. Then set the class schedule with the principal and ask Transportation about busing.

5. By April 30

   Turn in receipts

   Items bought July 1 through April 30 can be submitted on the district's aid receipt form.

What it includes

Included

• Middle and high school curricular courses
• Curricular band for grades 5-12
• Cocurricular activities for grades 7-12
• Textbooks, materials, and tests up to the state allocation
• Health services and grade 7-12 guidance
• Special education assessment and services

Not included

• Shared-time students do not qualify for a District 196 high school diploma, honor rolls, class rank, or other recognition given to full-time students.
• New course sections or changed class hours
• Lab and library use outside a course
• Cost of state and norm-referenced tests

Who to contact about shared time

The Community Education office is the district's homeschool contact and takes registrations, aid forms, and shared-time applications.

homeschool.nonpublic@district196.org 651-423-7722 Homeschool page

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

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