Homeschool benefits: Troy and Lincoln County R-III
Lincoln County R-III's Summer Journey program for students entering kindergarten through eighth grade is open to homeschooled children, and it pays a prepaid gift card of up to $100 for perfect attendance. The 2026 session ran June 1 to June 26; the district had not posted 2027 dates as of October 12, 2026.
Who qualifies
Entering kindergarten through 8th grade
Summer Journey serves students entering kindergarten through eighth grade.
Homeschool students welcome
Families outside Lincoln County R-III (LCR3) schools, including homeschoolers, enroll through the district's Google Form instead of ParentSquare.
Attends to earn the incentive
The gift card amount depends on attendance: missing more than two days earns no card.
What attendance earns
Lincoln County R-III offered these attendance incentives for the 2026 Summer Journey program.
- Perfect attendance, no time missed
- $100
- Up to one day missed
- $75
- More than one day, up to two days missed
- $50
- More than two days missed
- None
The card is mailed home within 30 days after Summer Journey ends, and the district had not announced whether the 2027 program will repeat the same amounts.
From enrolling to the gift card
- Late March
Enrollment opens
For 2026, enrollment began Monday, March 30. Homeschool families use the Google Form on the Summer Journey page.
- By mid-May
Enroll before the deadline
The 2026 enrollment deadline was May 12.
- June
Attend every day
In 2026, grades K-5 met 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and grades 6-8 met 7:20 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Within 30 days after
Watch the mail
The prepaid gift card for attendance arrives by mail within 30 days after the program ends.
What it pays for
Included
- Four weeks of summer classes
- Attendance gift card up to $100
Not included
- High school students, who use a separate grades 9-12 summer school
Good to know
Homeschooled children can attend
The district invites children who are not enrolled in an LCR3 school, including parochial, private, and homeschool students, to enroll in Summer Journey through its Google Form.
Who to contact
The district office in Troy answers questions about Summer Journey enrollment and locations.
636-462-6098 Summer Journey page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Missouri
No annual homeschool registration required. If withdrawing from public school, a written notice requesting removal from its rolls documents the change.
Missouri sets these rules:
- Subjects: For students under 16, offer at least 1,000 hours of instruction: 600 in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science, or related courses, including 400 at the regular homeschool location. The statutory hours and recordkeeping rules do not apply at age 16 or older.
- Testing: Missouri does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: For students under 16, keep a subject and activity record, a work-sample portfolio, and progress evaluations, or equivalent written or credible evidence.
- Teachers: No state teaching-license or degree requirement for a homeschool instructor.
Read the Missouri homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Missouri
Questions parents ask
- Where are Summer Journey classes held?
- In 2026, elementary students went to Lincoln, Troy South, Cuivre Park, or William Cappel Elementary depending on their home school area, and middle schoolers went to Troy South Middle School.
- How much can my child earn?
- Up to $100 for perfect attendance, $75 with one missed day, or $50 with two. More than two missed days earns no card.
- When will 2027 dates be posted?
- The district has not said. Based on 2026, watch for enrollment to open in late March, or call the district at 636-462-6098.
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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