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Iowa Education Code For Homeschooling

This is not intended to be legal advice and is distributed for information purposes only. Check for updates at your public library.

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Compulsory attendance - 6 to under 16 by September 15


Table of Contents

299A.1 Private instruction.
299A.2 Competent private instruction by licensed practitioner.
299A.3 Private instruction by nonlicensed person.
299.1 Attendance requirements.
299.1A Compulsory attendance age.
299.1B  Failure to attend--loss of driver's license.
299.2 Exceptions.
299.3 Reports from accredited nonpublic schools.
299.4 Reports as to private instruction.
299.24 Religious groups exempted from school standards.


299A.1 Private instruction.

The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child of compulsory attendance age who places the child under private instruction shall provide, unless otherwise exempted, competent private instruction in accordance with this chapter. A parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child of compulsory attendance age who places the child under private instruction which is not competent private instruction, or otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter, is subject to the provisions of sections 299.1 through 299.4 and the penalties provided in section 299.6.

For purposes of this chapter, "competent private instruction" means private instruction provided on a daily basis for at least one hundred forty-eight days during a school year, to be met by attendance for at least thirty-seven days each school quarter, by or under the supervision of a licensed practitioner in the manner provided under section 299A.2, or other person under section 299A.3, which results in the student making adequate progress.

For purposes of this chapter and chapter 299, "private instruction" means instruction using a plan and a course of study in a setting other than a public or organized accredited nonpublic school.


299A.2 Competent private instruction by licensed practitioner.

If a licensed practitioner provides competent instruction to a child of compulsory attendance age, the practitioner shall possess a valid license or certificate which has been issued by the state board of educational examiners under chapter 272 and which is appropriate to the ages and grade levels of the children to be taught. Competent private instruction may include, but is not limited to, a home school assistance program which provides instruction or instructional supervision offered through an accredited nonpublic school or public school district by a teacher, who is employed by the accredited nonpublic school or public school district, who assists and supervises a parent, guardian, or legal custodian in providing instruction to a child. If competent private instruction is provided through a public school district, the child shall be enrolled and included in the basic enrollment of the school district as provided in section 257.6. Sections 299A.3 through 299A.7 do not apply to competent private instruction provided by a licensed practitioner under this section. However, the reporting requirement contained in section 299A.3, subsection 1, shall apply to competent private instruction provided by licensed practitioners that is not part of a home school assistance program offered through an accredited nonpublic school or public school district.


299A.3 Private instruction by nonlicensed person.

A parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child of compulsory attendance age providing competent private instruction to the child shall meet all of the following requirements:

  1. Complete and send, in a timely manner, the report required under section 299.4 to the school district of residence of the child.
  2. Ensure that the child under the parent's, guardian's, or legal custodian's instruction is evaluated annually to determine whether the child is making adequate progress, as defined in section 299A.6.
  3. Ensure that the results of the child's annual evaluation are reported to the school district of residence of the child and to the department of education by a date not later than June 30 of each year in which the child is under private instruction.


299.1 Attendance requirements.

Except as provided in section 299.2, the parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian of a child who is of compulsory attendance age, shall cause the child to attend some public school, an accredited nonpublic school, or competent private instruction in accordance with the provisions of chapter 299A, during a school year, as defined under section 279.10. The board of directors of a public school district or the governing body of an accredited nonpublic school shall set the number of days of required attendance for the schools under its control.

The board of directors of a public or the governing body of an accredited nonpublic school may, by resolution, require attendance for the entire time when the schools are in session in any school year and adopt a policy or rules relating to the reasons considered to be valid or acceptable excuses for absence from school.


299.1A Compulsory attendance age.

A child who has reached the age of six and is under sixteen years of age by September 15 is of compulsory attendance age.


299.1B  Failure to attend--loss of driver's license.

A person who does not attend a public school, an accredited nonpublic school, competent private instruction in accordance with the provisions of chapter 299A, an alternative school, adult education classes, or who is not employed at least twenty hours per week shall not receive a motor vehicle operator's license until age eighteen. A person under age eighteen who has been issued a motor vehicle operator's license who does not attend a public school, an accredited nonpublic school, competent private instruction in accordance with the provisions of chapter 299A, an alternative school, or adult education classes, shall surrender the license and be issued a temporary restricted license under section 321.215.


299.2 Exceptions.

Section 299.1 shall not apply to any child:

  1. Who has completed the requirements for graduation in an accredited school or has obtained a high school equivalency diploma under chapter 259A.
  2. Who is excused for sufficient reason by any court of record or judge.
  3. While attending religious services or receiving religious instructions.
  4. Who is attending a private college preparatory school accredited or probationally accredited under section 256.11, subsection 13.
  5. Who has been excused under section 299.22.
  6. Who is exempted under section 299.24.


299.3 Reports from accredited nonpublic schools.

Within ten days from receipt of notice from the secretary of the school district within which an accredited nonpublic school is conducted, the principal of the accredited nonpublic school shall, once during each school year, and at any time when requested in individual cases, furnish to the secretary of the public school district, within which the accredited nonpublic school is located, a certificate and report in duplicate on forms provided by the public school district of the names and ages of each pupil of the accredited nonpublic school who is of compulsory attendance age and the grade level of each pupil, during the preceding year and from the time of the last preceding report to the time at which a report is required. In addition, the report shall identify all students of compulsory attendance age who were truant as defined by law or school policy and the number of days of truancy for the period covered by the report, and children who dropped out, withdrew from enrollment, or transferred to another Iowa school and the date their attendance ceased at the accredited nonpublic school. The secretary shall retain one of the reports and file the other with the secretary of the area education agency.


299.4 Reports as to private instruction.

The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child who is of compulsory attendance age, who places the child under competent private instruction under either section 299A.2 or 299A.3, not in an accredited school or a home school assistance program operated by a public or accredited nonpublic school, shall furnish a report in duplicate on forms provided by the public school district, to the district by the earliest starting date specified in section 279.10, subsection 1. The secretary shall retain and file one copy and forward the other copy to the district's area education agency. The report shall state the name and age of the child, the period of time during which the child has been or will be under competent private instruction for the year, an outline of the course of study, texts used, and the name and address of the instructor. The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child, who is placing the child under competent private instruction, for the first time, shall also provide the district with evidence that the child has had the immunizations required under section 139.9. The term "outline of course of study" shall include subjects covered, lesson plans, and time spent on the areas of study.


299.24 Religious groups exempted from school standards.

When members or representatives of a local congregation of a recognized church or religious denomination established for ten years or more within the state of Iowa prior to July 1, 1967, which professes principles or tenets that differ substantially from the objectives, goals, and philosophy of education embodied in standards set forth in section 256.11, and rules adopted in implementation thereof, file with the director of the department of education proof of the existence of such conflicting tenets or principles, together with a list of the names, ages, and post-office addresses of all persons of compulsory school age desiring to be exempted from the compulsory education law and the educational standards law, whose parents or guardians are members of the congregation or religious denomination, the director, subject to the approval of the state board of education, may exempt the members of the congregation or religious denomination from compliance with any or all requirements of the compulsory education law and the educational standards law for two school years. When the exemption has once been granted, renewal of such exemptions for each succeeding school year may be conditioned by the director, with the approval of the board, upon proof of achievement.


Other Resources

Iowa Homeschool Statute
Provided by Ed Dickerson.

Law and Rules Governing Home Education in Iowa
From NICHE. You are about to reference the laws and rules that govern home education in Iowa.  When you do this please remember the freedom to home educate your children is a right that government often seeks to restrict.

Return to Iowa homeschooling information.

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