Homeschooling in Maine

What Maine requires

• Notice to authorities: Yes. File Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction with local superintendent AND Maine Commissioner within 10 days of starting. In subsequent years, file by September 1 with prior-year assessment results.
• Instructional days: 175 per year
• Portfolio: Required as one option (or testing).
• Standardized testing: One option — you may test or submit a portfolio.
• Annual evaluator: Not required.
• Quarterly reports: Not required.
• Assessment due: September 1
• Accepted assessments: standardized test, local school test, certified maine teacher review, support group with certified staff review, local advisory board review

How to start homeschooling in Maine

1. File your notice with the state. File Notice of Intent (paper or via NEO portal) with both your superintendent and the Maine Commissioner within 10 days of starting. Provide 175 days of instruction. Submit an annual assessment by September 1 -- choose from standardized test, local test, certified teacher review, support group review, or advisory board review. File online with the state →
2. Plan your school year. Maine expects 175 instructional days per year — set your calendar before you start so the count takes care of itself.
3. Put assessment on the calendar. Each year you'll submit either standardized test results or a portfolio of work — decide which at the start of the year so you collect the right evidence as you go.
4. Keep records from your first day. Attendance, samples of work, and any test or evaluation results — every requirement above is answered from these three, and they're painless to keep daily and miserable to reconstruct in May.

How Anchor helps

Anchor logs every day automatically when you make an activity entry. It builds the portfolio your state expects, generates the attendance PDF, and reminds you about evaluations before they're due.