Alabama umbrella and cover schools for homeschoolers
What the route is, what it changes about filing, and what to ask before you join. We name no schools and recommend none.
Church school. A school that offers instruction in grades K-12, through on-site or home programs, operated as a ministry of a local church, group of churches, denomination or association of churches that does not receive state or federal funding. Children are exempt from the attendance law before their 16th birthday if they comply with the enrollment form in 16-28-7.
Checked October 27, 2026 against Alabama's statute and education department. Information, not legal advice: they are the final word.
What it changes about filing
Homeschooling on your own in Alabama: This describes the church school route, which the law lets a home program use. The parent files the child's enrollment and attendance with the local public school superintendent on a form the superintendent provides; the church school's administrator countersigns it and the parent returns it. The law gives no date and does not say whether to refile each year. Church schools do not file the weekly reports other schools do. Tutors and private schools file differently (see routes).
Through the route above: the record's words for it are in the box at the top. Where they do not say who files what, ask the school before you join; the rule can differ from one school to the next.
- The church school exemption is worded in the statute as applying to a child before the child's 16th birthday (16-28-3). The same section sets the attendance ages as six to 17.
- A church school must be operated as a ministry of a church or group of churches and receive no state or federal funding, so a family using this route needs to be enrolled in such a school (16-28-1).
In the law's words
“The enrollment and attendance of a child in a church school shall be filed with the local public school superintendent by the parent, guardian, or other person in charge or control of the child on a form provided by the superintendent or his or her agent which shall be countersigned by the administrator of the church school and returned to the public school superintendent by the parent.”
“CHURCH SCHOOL. Includes only schools that offer instruction in grades K-12, or any combination thereof, including preschool, through on-site or home programs, and are operated as a ministry of a local church, group of churches, denomination, and/or association of churches which do not receive any state or federal funding.”
What it costs
Fees vary; ask. We list none: they differ by school and change from year to year.
Ten questions to ask before you join
- What do you file for us, with whom and by when, and what do we still file ourselves?
- What must we send you (attendance, grades, work samples), and how often?
- Do you require a test or an evaluation, and who gives it?
- Who chooses the curriculum? Do you require or approve any?
- What does a year cost, and what costs extra (testing, transcripts, a diploma)?
- Do you issue report cards, transcripts and a diploma, and will you send records after we leave?
- What happens to our records if you close?
- What do you ask a family to sign when it enrolls?
- How do we leave, and what do you tell the district when we do?
- Does enrolling change our access to sports, dual enrollment or state scholarship money here?
Keep your own records anyway
If the school closes or you leave, your own copies are what you have. The free Record Book keeps attendance, hours, the reading log, grades and work samples on your device, and exports every list.