Homeschool laws in Louisiana (2026)
A plain-English overview of what Louisiana requires of homeschool families — plus the automatic tracking Rosie’sHQ handles so you never have to build a portfolio the night before an evaluation.
Louisiana at a glance
Verified statuteWhat the law says: La. R.S. 17:236.1 requires a BESE-approved home study program with 180 days of instruction per 12-month period. Annual renewal by Oct 1 with evidence of sustained curriculum quality (packet, portfolio, or standardized test).
Source: legis.la.gov
How Rosie’sHQ helps Louisiana families
- Daily attendance in one tapLog a school day in a single tap and Rosie'sHQ counts it against Louisiana’s 180-day mandate for you.
- Automatic hour talliesEvery lesson you log rolls up into per-subject and per-year hour totals — no spreadsheet required.
- One-click portfolio PDFTurn your logged lessons, assessments, and worksheets into an audit-ready portfolio PDF the moment an evaluator asks.
- Notice of Intent generatorGenerate a Louisiana-specific Notice of Intent PDF pre-filled with your child’s information — ready to sign and mail.
Recommended homeschool checklist for Louisiana
Everything a Louisiana homeschool family should do across a typical school year, grouped so you can tick items off as you go. Every step is tailored to Louisiana’s actual rules — low-regulation states get a shorter list; states with mandatory portfolios or standardized tests get the full sequence.
1Before the school year begins in Louisiana
- File your Louisiana Notice of Intent (or equivalent)
Complete the Louisiana-specific homeschool notification form before instruction starts. Rosie’sHQ generates a pre-filled, print-ready PDF that names each child, their grade level, and the required subjects.
- Set your target hours and days in Rosie’sHQ
Louisiana does not set a fixed hour count, but it does require 180 instructional days per year. Rosie’sHQ counts every day you log at least one lesson and displays a live progress bar against the 180-day target.
2Every school day
- Log attendance in one tap
Use Rosie’sHQ’s Quick-Log to mark the school day “present” in a single tap. The system will roll it into your Louisiana year-to-date attendance count and warn you if you’re falling behind the 180-day mandate.
- Record each subject you teach today
Log every subject you cover — even quick ones like read-alouds or nature study. Rosie’sHQ preserves the daily record so you can prove instructional time to any Louisiana evaluator, cover school, or umbrella supervisor.
3Every month or quarter
- Review your Louisiana compliance dashboard
Open the Compliance tab and confirm you are on pace for the 180-day Louisiana mandate. The dashboard also flags any required subject that has zero logged activities.
- Keep the portfolio building automatically
Louisiana requires an annual portfolio review. Rather than scrambling in June, let Rosie’sHQ build it month by month: every worksheet, photo, and log you attach today lands in the Louisiana year-end portfolio PDF automatically. Preview it any time from the Compliance tab.
4At the end of the school year
- Generate the year-end PDF the state expects
Louisiana requires a portfolio review. Click “Export Portfolio” in Rosie’sHQ and you get a single, professionally formatted PDF containing the cover page, statute reference, per-subject hours, log index, and worksheet appendix — ready to hand to any Louisiana evaluator.
- Keep records for the state-recommended retention period
Store the year-end PDF plus any raw logs for at least 3 years after graduation. Louisiana districts and colleges occasionally request historical records; Rosie’sHQ preserves your archive so you never have to reconstruct a year from memory.
Frequently asked questions
How many days and hours must Louisiana homeschoolers log per year?+
Louisiana law currently requires 180 instructional days per year. La. R.S. 17:236.1 requires a BESE-approved home study program with 180 days of instruction per 12-month period. Annual renewal by Oct 1 with evidence of sustained curriculum quality (packet, portfolio, or standardized test). Rosie'sHQ tracks your daily attendance and lesson hours automatically and warns you if you’re falling behind.
What subjects must be taught to Louisiana homeschoolers?+
Louisiana does not enumerate a strict list of required subjects statewide. Most families still cover reading, math, science, and social studies. Rosie'sHQ lets you configure whichever subject mix your curriculum uses.
Do Louisiana homeschoolers need to submit a portfolio or test scores?+
Louisiana requires an annual portfolio of the student’s work. Rosie'sHQ builds an audit-ready portfolio PDF from your logged lessons and assessments in one click.
How does Rosie'sHQ help Louisiana homeschool families stay compliant?+
Rosie'sHQ logs daily attendance, tallies instructional hours by subject, generates a Notice of Intent, produces a year-end portfolio PDF, and stores every worksheet or assessment your child completes so an evaluator or state official can be answered in minutes rather than hours.