South Dakota Homeschooling

Welcome to the best site on the Internet for information, ideas, and support for parents homeschooling in South Dakota. Look inside to find tips on teaching different subjects, special needs homeschooling, events, homeschooling laws, and much, more more!

What's Popular
13-27-1. Responsibility of person controlling child--Ages of compulsory attendance--Entire school term--Waiver.
Responsibility of person controlling child for school attendance--General education development test preparation program--Kindergarten--Transfer from another state. Any person having control of a child, who is not younger than five or older than six years old by the first day of September, or any child who, by the first day of September, is at least six years old, but who has not exceeded the age of eighteen, shall cause the child to regularly attend some public or nonpublic school for the entir...
Missouri National Recreational River
Missouri National Recreational River offers natural beauty: the forested buff-colored chalkstone bluffs to gently rolling range bottomland; the brilliant white of migrating pelicans to the rich blues of prairie asters; the soaring majesty of resident bald eagles to fleeting glimpses of the wily red fox. It offers an exciting past for your enjoyment and enrichment, from Plains Indian tribes to Lewis and Clark to steamboat captains such as Grant Marsh. Here, you can experience the dynamic characte...
13-27-3.1. Birth certificate or affidavit to be submitted--Violation as misdemeanor.
Any person who is required pursuant to § 13-27-1 to cause any child to attend any public or nonpublic school or alternative instruction program pursuant to § 13-27-3 in this state shall, either at the time of enrollment in any school in this state or upon being excused from school attendance pursuant to § 13-27-3 or within thirty days of initial enrollment or excuse, provide the public or nonpublic school or the alternative instruction program with a certified copy of the child's birth certifica...
South Dakota Christian Home Educators (SDCHE)
South Dakota Christian Home Educators (SDCHE) is a nonprofit volunteer organization that is dedicated to serving home educators across South Dakota and in neighboring states. They serve to encourage and serve families interested or involved in home education by assisting them in finding the information and resources necessary to teach their children at home, and furthermore, to work on behalf of such home-teaching families for the continued liberty to do so.
13-27-3.4. Certified copy of birth certificate to be provided to certain persons at no cost.
Notwithstanding § 34-25-52, the department of health or the local registrar of vital records shall provide a certified copy of any child's birth certificate at no cost if the person requesting the certificate pursuant to § 13-27-3.1 is eligible to receive temporary assistance for needy families under chapter 28-7, food stamps under chapter 28-12, or county poor relief under chapter 28-13. Source: SL 1988, ch 142, § 4.
13-27-3.2. Maintenance of birth certificate by school as permanent record.
Any copy of any certified birth certificate provided pursuant to § 13-27-3.1 shall be maintained by the public or nonpublic school or alternative instruction program and shall be a part of the child's permanent cumulative school record.
13-27-9. Record of certificates of excuse from attendance--Copies to secretary and place of instruction.
A permanent record of all certificates of excuse shall be kept in some safe place as determined by the school board. Any certificate of excuse of a pupil receiving alternative instruction pursuant to § 13-27-3 shall be kept confidential after approval of the school board pursuant to § 13- 27-2. Copies of any certificate of excuse shall be forwarded to the secretary of the Department of Education. Copies of any certificates of excuse shall also be forwarded to the place where the child is instruc...
Bramble Park Zoo
At the Bramble Park Zoo, located in Watertown, experience over 500 mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates representing 130 varieties from around the world and those native to South Dakota.
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
In 1804, Meriwether Lewis & William Clark began a voyage of discovery with 45 men, a keelboat, two pirogues,and a dog. They departed from Camp Wood located in what was to become Illinois. They traveled over a three-year period through lands that later became 11 states. Most of the trail follows the Missouri & Columbia Rivers. Much has changed in 200 years but trail portions remain intact. At 3700 miles, Lewis & Clark NHT is the second longest of the 23 National Scenic & National Historic Trails....
13-27-7. Applications for excuse from attendance--Certificate issued by board president-- Revocation--Grounds.
All applications for excuse from school attendance shall be on a standard form acknowledged before a notary or two witnesses. The form shall be provided by the secretary of the Department of Education. If the application is granted, a certificate of excuse also provided by the secretary of the Department of Education shall be issued by the president of the school board having jurisdiction over the district in which the child has school residence. The certificate of excuse shall be for a period n...
South Dakota Home School Laws from HSLDA
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in South Dakota. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in South Dakota.
13-27-20. Complaints against persons responsible for truancy--Contents of complaint-- Verification.
Each truancy officer shall make and file truancy complaints, and any teacher, school officer, or any citizen may make and file a truancy complaint, before a circuit court judge, against any person having control of a child of compulsory school age who is not attending school or whose attendance is irregular. The complaint shall state the name of the parent, guardian, or person responsible for the control of the child. The complaint shall be verified by oath upon belief of the complainant.
13-27-3. Child excused if provided alternative instruction--Application--Investigation-- Revocation--Restrictions--Testing.
A child shall be excused from school attendance, pursuant to § 13-27-2, because the child is otherwise provided with alternative instruction for an equivalent period of time, as in the public schools, in the basic skills of language arts and mathematics. The parent or guardian of the child shall identify in the application the place where the child will be instructed and any individual who will instruct the child. The individuals are not required to be certified. The secretary of the Department ...
South Dakota Department of Education
This is the official internet presence for the South Dakota Department of Education. Discover resources and services designed to assist families with children.
Department of Education Responsibilities
An interpretation of the homeschooling laws by the South Dakota Department of Education.
Looking for Another State?
Featured Resources

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this site.

Parenting With Grace: Catholic Parent's Guide to Raising Almost Perfect Kids
Gary Popcak and his wife Lisa show that God offers every Catholic parent guidance and the opportunity to take a truly Catholic approach to parenthood. In this book, they discuss parenting strategies, phases children go through, the essential differen...
LeapPad Game - Mind Wars Jr. Interactive Game
Bring a friend and try this brand new way to play with your LeapPad! Race around the board in this fast-paced, wonderfully wacky game. Be the first to close all five windows and you will become the Mind Wars master and learn important 1st and 2nd gra...
One Thing at a Time : 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day
Simple, effective ways to put things in their placeThose piles of papers, clothes, and other things you thought you'd successfully de-cluttered have returned, and this time they brought friends. What's the use of trying to fight the clutter? Is there...
Why We Homeschool
It is a common misconception that most parents homeschool due to bullies, school shootings, or bad teaching content. While these things are important, there is a higher purpose for choosing to home education your children. Even if all those things we...
In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child's Multiple Intelligences
Children learn in differing ways. Thomas Armstrong specializes in helping parents identify the unique areas in each of our children that enhance their special way of learning and expressing creativity. This work on multiple intelligences talks about ...
Quote of the Day

It is far better to give work that is above a person, than to educate the person to be above their work.

John Ruskin