South Dakota

History

In the midwestern United States, South Dakota legalized homeschooling, or “alternative instruction,” in 1939, followed by several updates.

Regulation

South Dakota requires parents who elect to homeschool their children, ages 6 to 18, to notify their local school or the Department of Education through an online submission or by completing the paper form. The state offers one option for homeschooling.

The state does not require but strongly recommends maintaining attendance records. Alternative instruction (homeschool) students must receive instruction in at least math and English. The local school district is required to loan textbooks to homeschool families upon request. Instruction administered in English is not required, but the aim of teaching should be “mastery of the English language.” There are no minimum education requirements for parents, instruction time requirements, or assessment requirements for homeschooled students.

Homeschooled students may enroll in public school courses and other activities part-time. Access to public school offerings for other nonpublic students is limited. According to South Dakota policy, homeschooled students with special needs are not eligible for special services unless enrolled in the local public school part-time.

State Data

South Dakota collects and publicly reports annual homeschool participation information. Over the last two decades, South Dakota experienced steady growth in homeschooling participation. For example, just over 2,000 students reported homeschooling in 2000 which increased to over 6,600 at the height of the pandemic and continues to increase.

U.S. Census estimates indicate that around 6.5% of South Dakota families homeschooled in the spring of 2020 and increased to 12.5% by the fall of 2020. This was slightly higher than the national average of 11.1% at the time. Based on U.S. Census data, our calculations indicate that about 6.11% of K-12 students in South Dakota were homeschooled during the 2022-23 school year, and 5.97% during the 2023-24 school year. Due to survey changes, the data from 2020 reflects the percentage of households, while the data from following years reflects the percentage of students.

Cross-Sector Comparison

During the 2019-20 academic year, 3.4% of South Dakota’s K-12 students were homeschooled. Homeschool participation in the state was about half the 7.4% of private school students. There are no charter schools in South Dakota. During the 2021-22 academic year, 4.6% of South Dakota’s K-12 students were homeschooled, and 8.6% of students attended private schools.

School Choice Context

In addition to homeschooling, parents in South Dakota have limited educational choices. These options include inter- and intra-district enrollment in traditional public schools and private schools. The state has one private school choice tax credit program, but it does not serve homeschool families. There are no magnet or charter schools in South Dakota.

Commentary

South Dakota could publicly report more of the information it collects from homeschool families to improve transparency and to help offer more insight into understanding participation trends in the state and nation.