Homeschool benefits: North Thurston Public Schools
North Thurston Public Schools offers homeschool families two routes: Ignite Family Academy, a K-8 public family partnership school with hands-on classes two days a week taught by NTPS teachers, and district paperwork that lets homeschooled teens enroll in Running Start or New Market. Homeschool declarations go to the Ignite office by September 15 each year.
Who qualifies
Files a declaration to homeschool
Return the Intent to Provide Home-Based Instruction form to the Ignite Family Academy office by September 15. Filing it does not enroll your child at Ignite.
Enrolls at Ignite for classes
Ignite is an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE), so your child enrolls as a public school student, with learning supervised and assessed by a certificated teacher. Students living outside NTPS boundaries complete extra choice forms.
Keeps weekly and monthly contact
Ignite families make weekly contact with staff and hold a monthly progress review with a teacher advisor, under a Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP).
Files Running Start forms
Homeschooled teens who want Running Start or New Market complete the district forms every year, then call the designated school and enroll through its process.
What North Thurston offers
The terms come from the NTPS homeschool page and Ignite Family Academy's program pages.
- Ignite on-site classes
- Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu
- Class length
- About 50 minutes
- Class groupings
- K-2, 3-5, and 6-8
- Teacher advisor review
- Monthly, plus weekly contact
- Curriculum and online resources
- Core and supplemental materials
- Transportation to Ignite
- Not provided
A parent, guardian, or designee must stay on site with each K-5 student during Ignite classes, so plan your own schedule around class days.
How to enroll
- By September 15
File the homeschool declaration
Return the form to Ignite Family Academy at the Raj Manhas Activity Center, 200 Sleater-Kinney Road NE, Olympia, or email ntpshomeschool@ntps.org.
- If Ignite interests you
Tour and sign the SOU
Fill out the interest form for a tour, then sign the Statement of Understanding (SOU) that every Ignite student needs on file.
- To enroll at Ignite
Complete NTPS registration
Submit the choice school registration packet with name and age verification, immunization records, and the other required documents.
- Each year for teens
File Running Start or New Market forms
Complete the declaration, the Running Start Enrollment Verification Form or New Market checklist, and the Verification of Residency Statement, then enroll with the college or center.
What it includes
Included
- On-site K-8 classes taught by NTPS teachers
- Core and supplemental materials for home learning
- District online resources and research databases
- Field experiences and clubs
Not included
- Transportation to Ignite
- Homeschool status while enrolled at Ignite
- Ignite enrollment through the declaration alone
Who to contact about Ignite and Running Start
The Ignite office takes homeschool declarations and Running Start forms and answers enrollment questions, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
ntpshomeschool@ntps.org 360-412-4907 NTPS homeschool page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Washington
You must file a declaration of intent by September 15 for the school year, or within two weeks after the start of a public-school quarter or term for a later start.
Washington sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and art and music appreciation. Provide hours equivalent to the annual program hours per grade for approved private schools under RCW 28A.195.010 and .040.
- Testing: Each year, obtain a state-board-approved standardized test administered by a qualified person or a written assessment by a Washington-certificated person currently working in education.
- Records: Keep annual test or assessment results permanently, along with immunization records. Forward required records if your child transfers to a public or approved private school.
- Teachers: The parent needs 45 college quarter credits or the semester equivalent, a home-instruction course at a postsecondary or vocational-technical institute, supervision by a certificated teacher, or the superintendent’s finding of sufficient qualifications. Teacher supervision includes planned objectives, an average of at least one contact hour per week with the child each month, and progress evaluation; the teacher may supervise no more than 30 children.
Read the Washington homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Washington
Questions parents ask
- Is my child still homeschooled at Ignite?
- No. Ignite is a public ALE where a certificated teacher supervises, monitors, and evaluates learning. Families who only file a declaration remain in charge of their child's learning.
- Can my homeschooled teen do Running Start without enrolling at Ignite?
- Yes. Homeschool students complete the district's Running Start forms each year and then enroll with the designated school; Ignite serves only grades K-8.
- Does my child have to attend Ignite classes?
- No. On-site classes are not required, but families must keep weekly contact and a monthly progress review.
- Do I have to stay on site during Ignite classes?
- Yes, for K-5 students. A parent, guardian, or designee must be on site during classes, with chances to leave campus for short periods.
- How are IEP services handled at Ignite?
- Students with an IEP receive special education services through their neighborhood school, and the IEP team reviews the plan before enrollment to confirm Ignite can meet the student's needs.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Put eligible education funds toward a curriculum that teaches the courses and grades the work. Check the program’s purchasing rules before paying.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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