Homeschool benefits: Stillwater Area Public School District
Stillwater Area Public Schools lets homeschooled students in grades 1-12 who live in the district take classes part time at their attendance-area school: any course in grades 7-12, and music and physical education in grades 1-6. High school shared-time students can take up to four courses a year, and accepted students can ride the bus when there is room. Other options include money for curriculum and materials.
Stillwater shared-time homeschool enrollment
Who qualifies
Lives in District 834
Stillwater accepts shared-time inquiries only from residents of Stillwater Area Public School District 834.
Homeschools full time
Your student attends your homeschool full time, and the homeschool complies with the Minnesota Compulsory Instruction Law.
Fits the grade rules
Students in grades 7-12 can request any curricular offering. Students in grades 1-6 can request music and physical education.
Meets course prerequisites
Your student must have finished all prerequisites and may need to show the right skills. Full-time public school students get priority for seats.
What shared time gives you
These limits come from Stillwater Area Public Schools Policy 510 on shared-time students and the district's enrollment page.
- High school courses
- 4 per year
- Secondary classes per semester (enrollment page)
- Up to 2
- Science lab courses in high school
- 1 per term
- Grades 1-6 subjects
- Music and PE
- School bus
- If space allows
- Testing at school
- You pay test cost
If your student takes a state or nationally normed test at the school, your homeschool pays for the test and scoring.
How to request a class
- Before the term
Contact the principal
Direct your shared-time inquiry to the principal of the school in your attendance area.
- To apply
Submit the application
Fill out the online Best of Both Worlds application with the requested course and school.
- After review
Principal recommends
The principal recommends approval or disapproval based on program, class, and building capacity.
- Once accepted
Arrange the bus
Ask the Transportation Department for a ride. Your student must use a regular stop at the scheduled time and meet district distance rules.
What it includes
Included
- Grade 7-12 curricular courses
- Courses with co-curricular participation
- Bus rides when space is available
Not included
- Test and scoring fees
- Courses that do not generate state shared-time aid
- Non-residents of District 834
If lunch falls between two classes, your student can buy a school lunch, and families within the income guidelines may get it free or at a reduced price.
Who to contact about shared time
Julie Tonkin, the K-12 enrollment and homeschool liaison, answers homeschool questions, and the principal of your attendance-area school handles class requests.
tonkinj@stillwaterschools.org 651-351-8412 Best of Both Worlds application
Stillwater homeschool nonpublic-aid reimbursement
Who qualifies
Registered with ISD 834
New families file the Registration Form and continuing families file the Letter of Intent, both by October 1 each year.
Filed the Student Report for Aids
Stillwater posts the state form ED-01650 for families requesting reimbursement for materials. It is due October 1 and must be complete and unaltered to be accepted.
Enrolled by September 15
Your student must be enrolled in your homeschool on or before September 15, and you must request each service in writing on the form.
Asks for eligible items
The state form covers textbooks, individualized instructional materials, standardized tests, software, and other educational technology.
What it is worth
The state form weights each student by grade, and Minnesota's 2026-27 materials rate of $138.43 applies per weighted student.
- Part-time kindergartner
- 0.5
- Full-time kindergartner
- 1.0
- Student in grades 1-6
- 1.0
- Student in grades 7-12
- 1.0
- One full-time student at the state rate
- $138.43
Stillwater's page does not post a receipt deadline or list of eligible items, so ask the homeschool liaison for both before you buy.
From requesting aid to reimbursement
- By October 1, 2026
Register and request aid
Mail or deliver your registration or Letter of Intent and the Student Report for Aids to the Enrollment Office, 1875 S. Greeley St., Stillwater.
- By October 15
District files with the state
Stillwater sends a copy of the form to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), which accepts forms only from public school districts.
- During the year
Submit receipts
Ask the homeschool liaison how and when to send receipts for reimbursement.
- Each year
File again
The Letter of Intent and the Student Report for Aids are due by October 1 every year.
What it pays for
Covered
- Textbooks
- Individualized instructional materials
- Standardized tests
- Software and other educational technology
Health services and grade 7-12 guidance and counseling are requested on the same form as separate services, not as money for materials.
Who to contact
Julie Tonkin, the K-12 enrollment and homeschool liaison, administers the nonpublic aid program for the district.
tonkinj@stillwaterschools.org 651-351-8412 Enrollment and homeschool forms
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
- How many Stillwater classes can my high schooler take?
- Four courses a year under Policy 510, with no more than one science lab per term. The enrollment page describes this as up to two classes per semester.
- Is there a Stillwater bus for shared-time students?
- Yes, if there is space. Accepted students ride from an existing stop at the scheduled time if they meet district distance rules; request it through the Transportation Department.
- We missed October 1, 2026. Can we still request Stillwater aid this year?
- Probably not. The state form had to be filed with the district by October 1, 2026, and the district sends it to MDE by October 15. Ask the homeschool liaison whether anything is still possible, and plan to file by October 1, 2027.
- Does Stillwater provide curriculum?
- No. The district says it cannot provide curriculum, transcripts, or diplomas for homeschool students. The aid reimburses eligible materials you choose.
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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