Home School Education

Out of Lakota's approximately 17,000 students, the district currently has about 300 students who participate in home school education.

In Ohio, a parent/guardian interested in educating his/her child of compulsory school age at home may request that the child be excused from compulsory school attendance (under section 3321.04 (A)(2) of the Ohio Revised Code) for home education purposes. Parents/guardians can request excusal from compulsory school attendance by successfully following the registration process for Home School Education as outlined by their district of residence.

Ohio law requires all children between the ages of six and 18 attend school.

Part-time enrollment is when a student is home schooled for the majority of the day, but chooses to
attend Lakota for a limited number of classes as outlined here.

Part-time enrollment is permitted in Grades K-6 in a maximum of two special subject areas (art, music, technology, or physical education only).

Part-time enrollment is permitted in Grades 7-12 in a maximum of two regularly scheduled or
credit-generating courses. For courses normally requiring a prerequisite, part-time enrolling students are asked to provide the most recent assessment report pertinent to the area in which enrollment is sought.

Consideration for part-time enrollment is subject to the building capacity and class or program size and limitations.

Ohio public eSchools are online community schools and are not the same as home schooling. Even
though students participate in eSchools from home, the online schools are responsible for providing
curriculum and educational resources. Under Ohio law, they are recognized as public schools and
students cannot be enrolled in multiple public schools at one time.

Annual Assessments are no longer required under Ohio state law.

The homeschooled student will be permitted to take achievement/ability tests normally given at each grade by the district. This is to be done cost-free but must be done during the regular testing cycle as outlined by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. It is the parent’s responsibility to make the appropriate arrangements with the school principal. The student may take tests such as the PSAT, ACT, etc. normally given at the high school at the same cost charged to enrolled students.

The Butler County Educational Service Center (BCESC) assists the Lakota Local School District in
processing home education notifications. Parents/guardians should visit the BCESC homeschooling website for the actual paperwork and process. Parents/guardians submit the paperwork directly to the BCESC for processing. BCESC will secure approval and signature from Lakota’s superintendent.

Because Lakota is classified as a “local” school district (not “city” or “exempted village”), it is under the supervision of the county school board. Therefore, Lakota’s homeschooling paperwork goes through the Butler County Educational Service Center.

To enroll part-time, please work through the Lakota Welcome Center's regular enrollment process. The Welcome Center will work with the building to determine schedule availability.

If a parent wishes to have his/her child return to Lakota for schooling, he/she must follow the district's regular procedures. Visit the Welcome Center website for enrollment details or contact the  Lakota Welcome Center is 513-682-4120 or enroll@lakotaonline.com .

The building administration will review the child’s progress and determine grade-level placement. The parent should provide the annual academic assessment reports for the years that the child was
educated at home to assist grade-level placement. Enrollment in advanced coursework will be based on evidence of academic achievement.

In grades 9-12, if the student wishes to enroll, the parent must provide an academic assessment report for each class taken at home. In addition, the school will need the grades from the last public or private school attended. Athletic eligibility will be determined by OHSAA guidelines and district athletic policy.

All home-based, private education courses will be given a grade of P/F (Pass/Fail), and transcripts will denote “home-education, private education” with “P/F grades” and “credits” assigned.

A student who is educated at home is permitted to participate in any extracurricular activity offered in the school district to which the student would otherwise be assigned during the school year. If the district operates more than one school that serves the student’s grade level (as determined by the student’s age and academic performance), the student shall be permitted to participate in the
extracurricular activities at the school to which the student would be assigned by the superintendent.

If the student elects to participate in an extracurricular activity offered by the district, the student is not allowed to participate in that activity at another school or school district to which the student is not entitled to attend.

Contact the building your child would attend for specific information on extracurriculars offered and
registration procedures.

       Visit the Lakota Communications portal page and select the "Community Member" tab for instructions on setting up a communications account. You will have the opportunity to customize your preferences for receiving community-facing news from the district and/or specific buildings. 

You can also stay connected via social media by following any of Lakota's official district or school accounts. 

Yes, here are the options for a homeschooled student to participate in CCP:

1. Enroll in CCP through the homeschooling option and apply for funding through homeschooling, paying the cost of textbooks. Visit the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's CCP for Home School Families webpage for more information.
    
2. Enroll part-time in Lakota for up to two credit-bearing courses. These can be CCP courses and would be covered under Lakota’s CCP program. Courses would be transcripted by Lakota for high school credit, in addition to the college credit.
   1. Courses would still need to be reviewed and approved by Lakota.
   2. Non-secular courses will not be approved.
   3. Parents would need to contact the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to find out how part-time enrollment impacts homeschooling CCP applications and funding.
       
3. Enroll full-time in Lakota and access CCP through Lakota’s CCP program. Visit Lakota's CCP webpage for more program details.