Homeschool benefits and savings in Shorewood
Shorewood School District lets a homeschooled student take up to two courses a semester in a district classroom and join athletics and extracurricular activities on the same terms as enrolled students. Participation fees for sports and activities are the same ones enrolled students pay. Other options include college classes and scholarships.
Shorewood home-based private education shared-time access
Who qualifies
Receives home-based private education
Board policy 9270 covers students whose parents provide a home-based private educational program, Wisconsin's legal term for homeschooling.
Meets each course's standards
Your child must meet the district's minimum standards for enrollment in the course.
Stays within two courses
The two-course cap per semester includes courses your child takes in any other public school district.
Can document athletic eligibility
If asked, your homeschool program provides a written statement that your child meets the district's age, academic, and discipline rules for interscholastic athletics.
What access includes
The rules come from Shorewood board policy 9270, adopted September 26, 2023, and policy 2370 on educational options.
- District courses each semester
- Up to 2
- Public courses across all districts
- 2 a semester
- Interscholastic athletics
- Same as enrolled
- Extracurricular activities
- Same as enrolled
- Participation fees
- Same as enrolled
Neither policy lists a registration deadline or a fee amount, so ask the district office how to enroll your child in a course and what the current athletic fee is.
How to take part
- Before the semester
Contact the district office
Ask how homeschooled students register for a course and which courses have space.
- At registration
Choose up to two courses
Count any course your child already takes in another public district that semester.
- Before a season
Register for athletics
Shorewood uses Bound for athletic schedules and registration. Be ready to provide a written eligibility statement if asked.
- Each season
Pay participation fees
The district may charge the same participation fees enrolled students pay, including uniform, equipment, and instrument fees; the athletics page does not post the amount.
What it includes
Included
- Up to two classroom courses a semester
- Interscholastic athletics, including Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) sports
- Extracurricular activities
Not included
- Participation, uniform, equipment, and instrument fees
- A third course in the same semester
Who to contact about course access
The district office at 1701 E. Capitol Drive answers enrollment questions, and Athletics and Activities Director Liberty Wieseman can be reached through the same number.
414-963-6900 Shorewood athletics
Wisconsin Lutheran College homeschool scholarship
Who qualifies
Was homeschooled for high school
The scholarship is for students who were homeschooled through high school, and no diploma or GED is required for admission.
Enrolls as a full-time freshman
It goes to first-time, full-time freshmen, not transfer or part-time students.
Applies after six semesters
Wisconsin Lutheran College accepts homeschool applications once your student has finished the equivalent of six semesters of high school, with rolling decisions.
Sends transcript and a reference
The transcript lists classes since ninth grade with grades and credits, and the recommendation must come from someone outside the family.
What it is worth
Amounts come from Wisconsin Lutheran College's undergraduate scholarships page and its Young Scholars page.
- Homeschooled Student Scholarship, one year
- $1,000
- Homeschooled Student Scholarship, four years
- $4,000
- Merit award, one year
- $13,000-$21,000
- Merit award, four years
- $52,000-$84,000
- Young Scholars credits per semester
- Up to 9
The Young Scholars page does not list the per-credit price, so ask admissions for the current Early College Credit Program rate before registering.
From applying to keeping it
- Grades 9-12
Try Young Scholars
Talk with the program contact, apply, and send transcripts and any ACT or SAT scores. Registration opens after July 15 for fall and after January 1 for spring.
- After six semesters
Apply for admission
Submit the application, a homeschool transcript, test scores, and a recommendation from a non-family member.
- With admission
Get merit review
Merit awards are considered automatically from your student's highest ACT or SAT score and unweighted GPA, or GPA alone for test-optional applicants.
- Each year
Keep the award
The homeschool scholarship renews annually for up to four years, and merit awards renew for students in good standing.
What it pays for
Covered
- Wisconsin Lutheran College costs as institutional aid
- Young Scholars courses at the reduced rate
Not covered
- Part-time or transfer students
- Years beyond four
Good to know
No diploma or GED is needed for admission
Wisconsin Lutheran College looks at standardized test scores and the homeschool transcript in place of a diploma or GED, and recommends at least a 21 ACT (or SAT equivalent) and a 2.7 GPA.
Ask how the two awards combine
The page lists both awards without saying whether they stack. Homeschooled students are considered for merit awards automatically, so ask the financial aid office how they combine in your student's package.
Who to contact
The admissions office answers questions about homeschool applications and scholarships; Melanie Rock, admissions counselor, handles the Young Scholars Program.
melanie.rock@wlc.edu 414-443-8800 Homeschooled students
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Wisconsin
You must file PI-1206 with DPI each year between July 1 and October 15. For withdrawal from public or private school after October 15, submit or update it on or before the date attendance ends. Update it when changing districts or the number of enrolled children.
Wisconsin sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide at least 875 instructional hours each year and a sequentially progressive curriculum in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health.
- Testing: Wisconsin does not require standardized testing for homeschoolers.
- Records: Keep copies of submitted PI-1206 reports; DPI retains them for seven years. Detailed instructional records are recommended, with no routine state submission required.
- Teachers: Wisconsin does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Wisconsin homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Wisconsin
Questions parents ask
- Can my child play WIAA sports for Shorewood?
- Yes. Homeschooled students may play interscholastic athletics, including WIAA sanctioned sports, on the same basis and to the same extent as students enrolled in the district.
- Does my child pay to play Shorewood sports?
- It can.
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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