Homeschool benefits: Missoula County Public Schools
Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) lets resident children ages 5 to 18 who are enrolled in a home school seek part-time enrollment in district classes. Homeschooled high school students can also join activities such as sports, clubs, drama, and music at their attendance-area high school by filing a participation form each school year.
Who qualifies
Lives in the district
Part-time enrollment is for resident students. For high school activities, your whole family must live in the attendance area of the school your child joins.
Is 5-18 on Sept. 10
Your child must have turned 5, and not yet turned 19, on or before September 10 of the school year.
Is registered as a home school
Homeschool students must be registered with the Missoula County Superintendent's office, and the home school must notify the county superintendent each school year.
Meets activity eligibility rules
For activities, the parent who teaches your child attests in writing that your child passed four half-credit classes last semester and is on course to graduate, and the principal verifies it.
What your child can join
The terms come from the MCPS 2026-27 annual notices and its form for homeschool participation in public high school activities.
- Part-time enrollment in district classes
- Ages 5-18 on Sept. 10
- High school sports, clubs, drama, and music
- At your attendance-area school
- Activities approval
- Current school year only
- Activity eligibility
- 8 consecutive semesters from ninth grade
- Sports physical on the MHSA form
- Good for one school year
The annual notice does not list which classes are open to part-time students, the hours, or a deadline, so ask the Enrollment Office about those before the semester starts.
How to take part
- Each school year
Register your home school
Notify the Missoula County Superintendent of Schools that your child attends your home school. MCPS checks this registration before approving activities.
- Before the semester
Ask about part-time classes
Contact the MCPS Enrollment Office. Its general enrollment packet asks for a birth certificate, immunization records, and proof of residency.
- For activities
File the participation form
Complete the Homeschool Student Participation in Public High School Activities form for Semester 1 or 2 and return it to the Assistant Superintendent's Office, 909 South Ave. West, Building A.
- After review
Get both signatures
The assistant superintendent and the high school principal sign the form before your child can take part.
- Every year
Renew
Approval lasts for the current school year only, so file a new form each year your child continues.
What it includes
Included
- Part-time enrollment in district classes
- Extracurricular activities at Big Sky, Hellgate, Seeley-Swan, and Sentinel high schools
Not included
- Activities at a second high school after your child has competed at one
- The same sport in a homeschool league during the same season
Good to know
Homeschooled children can enroll part time
MCPS says resident students enrolled in a nonpublic or home school may seek part-time enrollment if they are 5 to 18 years old on September 10.
Homeschooled teens can play on high school teams
Your teen can play if your home school meets Montana's requirements in MCA 20-5-109. The same Montana High School Association (MHSA) rules on age, semesters, academics, and attendance area apply as for enrolled students; only the enrollment requirement is waived.
Who to contact about part-time enrollment
The Enrollment Office, at extension 1082, handles registration questions Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
studentregistration@mcpsmt.org 406-728-2400 Enrollment Office
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Montana
You must notify the county superintendent each school fiscal year. State law does not set a specific calendar deadline.
Montana sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide an organized course covering the public-school basic instructional program and meet grade-level aggregate hours: 720 for grades 1–3 and 1,080 for grades 4–12. Kindergarten is 360 hours half-time or 720 full-time. For graduating seniors, 1,050 hours may suffice; statutory proficiency exceptions may apply.
- Testing: Montana does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Montana requires you to keep attendance records and make them available to the county superintendent on request. Current homeschool law does not require immunization records.
- Teachers: No state teaching-license or degree requirement for a homeschool parent.
Montana also has an education savings account that home-educated students can use.
- Montana's special-needs Education Savings Account reimburses approved tuition, curriculum, tutoring, and therapy costs for students with a qualifying disability. Check the program's current notices: a court stay has affected when it operates.
Read the Montana homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Montana
Questions parents ask
- Which high school can my child play for?
- The school in your family's attendance area, unless the district approves another of its high schools. Once your child takes part in an activity at one school, that is the only school for the rest of high school.
- Does my child need a physical?
- Yes, for MHSA sports. Use the MHSA form, and note that a physical done before May 1 does not count for the next school year.
- Can a 19-year-old take part in activities?
- It depends on the birthday. A student who turns 19 after August 31 is age eligible, and one who turns 19 on or before August 31 can file an age waiver.
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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