South Dakota requires a one-time notification form and instruction in language arts and math. Mandatory testing was eliminated in 2021.
Homeschooling — called 'alternative instruction' in South Dakota — is legal and, since a 2021 overhaul, genuinely simple. You file a notification form once per child (not annually), and the old standardized testing requirement is gone. It is now one of the lighter regulatory setups in the country.
The state's substantive ask is modest: provide instruction in language arts and mathematics for the equivalent of the school term. Everything else — schedule, materials, additional subjects — is your call.
File the state's alternative instruction notification (available through the Department of Education or your local district) once per child when you begin. You refile only if circumstances change, such as moving districts — not every year.
Language arts and mathematics are the two required areas. Most families teach a full core anyway, but the legal floor is deliberately narrow.
None required — South Dakota removed mandatory testing in 2021. Note that homeschooled students who want to participate in public school activities may face separate eligibility rules; ask the district.
Download the alternative instruction notification form and file it for each child.
Withdraw your child from their current school in writing once the notification is in.
Keep a copy of the filed form and any acknowledgment in a permanent folder.
Plan your year around solid language arts and math, then add the subjects your family values.
Choose a curriculum that places your child accurately in those two required areas and grows with them — with no state testing, its built-in progress tracking becomes your benchmark.
Whatever South Dakota asks for — attendance, subject coverage, progress evidence, transcripts — Cullinan Academy tracks it automatically as your kids learn: verified mastery records, time-on-task, printable transcripts with GPA, and state report templates. No spreadsheet required.
No — it's a one-time filing per child, refiled only when key details change (like a move).
Not anymore. The testing requirement was repealed in 2021. Any assessment you do is private and optional.
Those are the only legally required subjects. Adding science, social studies, and the rest is strongly recommended for a well-rounded education, but it's your decision.
State law allows alternative instruction students to participate in public school activities, subject to eligibility requirements — coordinate with your district and the activities association.
You maintain the records and issue the diploma. Start a simple transcript in 9th grade listing courses, credits, and grades.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes, and districts sometimes apply it differently. Verify current requirements with your state's department of education or a local homeschool association before filing anything. Content last reviewed 2026-07.