There is no such thing as a “letter of intent” to homeschool in AL. You don’t ‘intend to homeschool’. You are offering “home programs” through the above-listed options. If you choose not to use a Church school, which is perfectly legal, you are declaring yourself a private school and really need to use that official form provided by the state (as stated in the law).

The public school system employees, websites, and administrators are giving out erroneous information. Often. On everything from your curriculum options to your child’s future options, to their interpretation of the law. THEY are not who you need to listen to. At all. The chances of them ‘coming after’ you are slim to none, but if you have a nosy neighbor, crappy grandparents, or a future employer causing you grief you will have needed to have followed the law. The law clearly states what our options are. I am including a link to a Doc that directly references the law on these points.

You very well may know people who have not reported anything at all and are fine. It’s kind of like speeding. You get away with it until you don’t, and the person who will suffer is not you but your child. I am not trying to scare you. It’s really easy to be legal. It’s just making sure you are fully aware of your options, and the consequences that can come from not doing the legal thing.

Please read and know the LAW, not BOE websites. Their interpretation of the law only goes so far as to be useful in a truancy case. The actuality of the law matters for anything else your homeschooler may come across in their future, including college scholarships, military careers, and future employment.