Compulsory Attendance

Your child’s age is your first indicator of his or her eligibility for beginning school. Students may start kindergarten if they turn five on or before September 1st. A child does not have to enroll in school at age five, but must be enrolled in 1st grade if he or she is six on or before December 1.  see more >

Required Documentation

Michigan school districts set the requirements for what documentation is required prior to enrolling a student in their district. To get that information, contact the district directly.  

Some legal documents are required for Michigan students to attend school:

• Certified Birth Certificate/proof of identity
• Official copy of records/transcripts from the previous school the child most recently attended
• A shot immunization record (or proof that immunization is not required for the child)
• Click here to view the immunization requirements
• Proof of home address (for example, a rental agreement or tax statement)

What are Charter Schools?

Charter Schools are tuition-free public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing bodies.

Parents, teachers, and community leaders sign a “charter” or contract with a school district or state agency to create a charter school and give students more educational options than their assigned school. Charter schools have flexibility over classroom hours, curriculum, and employment policies, but are subject to periodic reviews based on student performance. In Michigan public charter school students are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public schools. Local boards of education monitor the academic and financial performance of charter schools, and, can revoke  or refuse to renew a school’s charter.

Michigan Charter Schools

There are over 100 Charter schools in Michigan. To find yours, visit CharterSchoolTools.org

Before the 2016–17 school year, each local board of education adopted a policy providing at a minimum, a virtual education option for eligible students in Grades 9–12, inclusive, beginning with that school year. Most have programs available for students 8–12 grade. Check your local school district for details.

Michigan Virtual Charter Academy

phone: (877) 794-9427
grades: K–12

Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy

phone: (855) 380-2480
grades: K–12

Jenison International Academy

phone: (616) 457-8477
grades: 6–12

What makes a school “private”?

Private schools charge tuition, and many have a religious mission. Some private schools offer families assistance to make tuition payments. Click below for the complete list of over 900 private schools across the state.

Private School Review offers free, detailed information on U.S. private schools combined with useful community data (e.g., housing costs) and maps of the surrounding areas.

*Information on non-public school admission requirements should be obtained from the school directly.

George Washington University Online High School is an online college preparatory academy for motivated students who are willing to be challenged to become the best students and persons they can be. Combining award-winning curriculum with small class sizes and intensive college counseling, students receive a flexible, individualized education attuned to their own needs and goals.

International Academy is a K12, Inc accredited, online private school for grades K–12. Students earn a U.S. high school diploma while using award-winning K¹² curriculum

They offer extensive, individualized academic and counseling support keep students on track. The flexibility allows students to explore their passions. Full-time and part-time options are available.

Your options

In Michigan, parents have two options when it comes to educating their children at home. These options are: Homeschooling under Michigan’s homeschool statute or Homeschooling as a nonpublic school. Parents in Michigan may choose to homeschool their own children in grades K – 12. Below are descriptions and necessary requirements for each option.  learn more >

Under Michigan’s homeschool statute

Parents who are teaching their own children at home under the homeschool statute are required to use an organized educational program covering the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. The statute does not require parents to notify local government or education authorities that they are homeschooling. The statute specifically notes that parents are authorized to give home instruction. If a nonparent is significantly involved in delivering instruction, contact HSLDA for specific guidance about your situation.

With a nonpublic school:

To homeschool your children by operating as a nonpublic school, you will need to follow these requirements.

1. Ensure that the instructor has the required qualifications.

The instructor in a homeschool operating as a nonpublic school may be either a parent, or another person chosen by the parent. Regardless of who the instructor is, he or she must have a teaching certificate, a teaching permit, or a bachelor’s degree.

Parents instructing their children who have a religious objection to teacher certification do not have to meet any of the above teacher requirements. However, this exception only applies when the parent is the instructor; it does not apply to an instructor who is not the parent.

College Credit

The Michigan State Legislature passed Public Act 160 of 1996, the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act and Public Act 258 of 2000, the Career and Technical Preparation Act also known as the “Dual Enrollment” bills. These bills modify and expand on provisions of the State School Aid Act providing for students to earn college credit while in high school. The bills also require that the board of a school district or public school academy ensure that each student in eighth grade or higher be given information about college course taking opportunities. The classes that students are eligible for must not be offered by the high school or academy and must lead towards postsecondary credit, accreditation, certification and/or licensing.

MDE Dual Enrollment Contacts:

Sam Sinicropi – sinicropis@michigan.gov –  517-241-0439 (Programmatic Questions/Issues)

Eric Lipinski – lipinskie@michigan.gov – 517-241-6895 (Programmatic Questions/Issues)

Christopher May – mayc@michigan.gov – 517-335-1263 (Financial Questions/Issues)

The contacts above are able to assist with all topics related to Dual Enrollment, but their primary focus is on the areas in parentheses.

MDE Dual Enrollment FAQs: Dual Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)