MD, CO, TX, GA, HI, FL- which State is most homeschool friendly? WwyL?

[mommywise]

Hi,

My dh is applying for a job that has opening in these States (except FL where we are now) and I was wondering if any of you can tell from experience where, what States are most homeschool friendly. From brief research, I read that TX seems to be very homeschool friendly. Which State would you live for your children's' education and for a family's well-being? (meaning lots of things to do and not high cost of living expenses). We only lived in FL since our kids were born so a move out of State will be a big deal for us. If you know any of these parts of the country, where would you recommend? The majority of our families are in FL.

Thank you.

ETA- cities are Denver, San Antonio, Ft. Meade area, Oahu (Honolulu), Augusta in GA.

I like the location of TX since it is in the middle of the U.S. for possible trips to the west or east but don't know much about the area.

 

ETA2- So far I like TX and maybe MD or CO. However, TX (San Antonio)- how's the weather? I heard they can get very hot in the summer like here in FL but not humid? How's the weather in CO or MD? I prefer warm weather than cold weather/freezing, snow but if I have to live it, I guess I will. How's winter like in CO or MD?

 

We also like to have a house with a big yard and some farm animals. Would this be possible in MD or CO near Denver and Mt. Meade?

Edited May 13, 2012 by mommywise

[SonshineLearner]

Out of those, I'd pick Texas :) I also like Oklahoma... but that's not on your list. I'm not exactly sure where in TX, but I spent many years as a child there... and my parents and I have good memories. :)

[WiseOwlKnits]

You don't get more HS-friendly than Texas. No reporting, no testing, you're considered a private school in the eyes of the state. :)

[acurtis75]

Texas is very homeschool friendly. There are no reporting requirements and lots of homeschooling organizations. I don't live in San Antonio but have a good friend who does and homeschooled for a period of time. There is at least one large co-op. Im general, Texans are pretty pro freedom and individual rights so I don't expect any additional regulation in the near future.

 

One thing I wish was different is the ability for homeschool students to play ps sports. Several years in a row it has been up for a vote in the state legislature but so far it hasn't passed. There are lots of homeschool sports teams and organizations in the San Antonio are so that kind of makes up for it.

[Alte Veste Academy]

Texas, without a doubt. It is very homeschool friendly and San Antonio is wonderful! Low cost of living too.

[LillyMama]

I'm in Colorado and it ROCKS! (Granted, I grew up in San Francisco, so anything's an improvement...)

 

In the country where I live, I have to sign a paper that says what days I'll home-school and the hours. I am told I have to average 4 hours a day for 172 days. I sign a piece of paper saying I do so. Done. I know no one that has ever been checked, but if you are checked on anything, they ask for the books and curricula you use. There is testing for every few years but, from what I gather, it's not punitive in nature but more to offer resources. My friend's son was tested at below desired reading level, they asked her if she wanted access to a tutor or program, she declined. That was the end of it.

 

Our school district also offers classes to home-schoolers. The district pays credited teachers to teach home-schoolers, at a church, should you choose to. Totally voluntary. (It's called either the HOPE or Options program, if you want to Google it.) For $40 a year, you get whatever curriculum you want for up to 4 classes, among which are art, science, PE, music, history and any of the basics like math, writing, etc. I haven't used it but I have friends who have. There are quite a few Classical Conversation groups. Homeschool students can take any class at any public high school, play on any sport team (I know a home-schooled man in his late twenties who actually ended up going to 8 proms in his high school years because he ended up playing on various sports teams at six different high schools.) Our local rec centers offer homeschooling sports classes.

 

I think why I like it here so much is that it's just been happening for so long, everyone accepts it. I don't get a lot of back-lash, people barely even bat an eye when we say we home-school. My kids play with friends in all schooling situations. And because it's so prevalent, they don't get teased or made to feel weird- it's always like, "Oh, cool, my cousin home-schools. Wanna play on the swings?" We know quite a few families that the parents were themselves home-schooled, and they're now having kids, and they're "normal" members of society. People are around, succeeding in life after being home-schooled, so there's not a lot of stigma surrounding it.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that it's well-accepted from an official capacity, but also socially. I'm in the Denver metro area, and most home-schoolers I know here are Christian. But we're close to Boulder, where there's a large community of more secular home-schoolers, too. People are pretty open-minded, you don't get a lot of divisiveness with the "right" way to do things.

 

Plus, then you'd be living in Colorado, which is pretty much the best state. The only place in the US with sunnier days is San Diego, and Denver's not nearly as expensive. And when the "big one" hits, or the ice caps finish melting, Denver won't be under water. No nasty humidity, you can ski one weekend and go to the water park the next... Yeah, I live in the perfect state. :tongue_smilie:

[KidsHappen]

TX.

[Mrs Mungo]

Hawaii is okay for homeschooling, but not the best. It has very high cost of living. Our housing allowance there was more than twice what it is here in NC. The *base price* for our electric bill (before usage charges) was $450/month and our water bill was over $100/month. We received a cost of living allowance that helped offset some of that, but it was really expensive.

[mommywise]

ETA2- So far I like TX and maybe MD or CO. However, TX (San Antonio)- how's the weather? I heard they can get very hot in the summer like here in FL but not humid? How's the weather in CO or MD? I prefer warm weather than cold weather/freezing, snow but if I have to live it, I guess I will. How's winter like in CO or MD?

 

We also like to have a house with a big yard and some farm animals. Would this be possible in MD or CO near Denver and Mt. Meade?

 

We also like to do camping, visiting parks and some occasional beach time but I noticed San Antonio doesn't have many lakes (at least from the Google map).

[LillyMama]

How you feel about Colorado weather just depends on what you're used to. Being from San Francisco, I'd never known snow, so I thought the winters were scary at first. My husband is from Iowa, and he, and most people from back east or the midwest, think the winters in Colorado are mild. The truth is, it's so dry and sunny here that, although it snows, it rarely sticks. I shoveled the sidewalks only three times all winter. And I probably didn't even need to do that- it would have melted. But I needed the exercise. The summers get in the high eighties, occasionally in the mid nineties, but it's very dry so it feels cooler. The one drawback is that, because of the elevation, the sun is more strong. So sunblock is really not an option, it and sunglasses are a must.

 

If you live toward the west side of Denver, toward the foothills, you can get some land with room for horses. I actually know of a couple for sale not to far from us right now. There is a lot of land east of town, toward Kansas and the airport, but I don't know that area very well. I'd guess you could get big acreage there as it's less-developed. There are also lots of more rural type places up north, between Denver and Boulder or Ft. Collins. And south toward Colorado Springs. Basically you could probably find something, you'd just want to figure out where in town your husband would be working. Commuting on the west side, where I live, is a breeze, but to the north, south and closer to town can be harder.

 

I actually live almost across the street from a county park- Bear Creek Lake Park, if you want to stalk me. ;) There are a couple of lakes there, one we "swim" in, one that's more for canoeing and then another for boating. We do monthly nature walks with some other homeschoolers there, and my kids and I basically live there or at the pool in the summer. Not too far from us, still in the metro area, is a large reservoir which lots of people like, but I haven't spent much time at. I will say, being a coastie myself, I do miss not having more water. I have just two complaints about where I live- not as much water as I'm used to and not as much ethnic diversity. There's tons of diversity in most parts of Denver, but I happen to live in about the Whitest place on the planet. It kinda freaks me out a bit. Probably says more about me than anything...

 

I lived in Savannah for a couple years, and I have lots of family in TX, and I cannot stand the humidity, so I just prefer Colorado. But if you're in Florida, and used to it, you probably wouldn't mind it. And the dryness and elevation in Denver does take getting used to. Some people from more lush landscapes find the area brown, as we are technically a high desert.

 

Sorry, I had caffeine really late tonight and I'm WIRED. I should probably shut up and go to bed. Let me know if you have other questions! Good luck whatever you decide!

[LaxMom]

MD is pretty straightforward. You notify the county each year that you're continuing to homeschool, and you are reviewed each year, by either the county or an umbrella group, for evidence of having and executing an educational plan. (parents are reviewed, not children) There is no testing, no attendance, etc.

 

We have full-spectrum weather. Hot and humid in the summer, cold in the winter. Snow is not guaranteed, but it happens fairly often. And people lose.their.minds every time.

 

We also have beaches and lots of other day-trip attractions. In the Ft Meade area, you'd be perfectly situated for DC, Baltimore, and Philly, beach trips in summer, PA apple picking in fall, ski and tubing trips in winter, hiking in Western MD year round...

[amtmcm]

ETA2- So far I like TX and maybe MD or CO. However, TX (San Antonio)- how's the weather? I heard they can get very hot in the summer like here in FL but not humid?

 

We also like to do camping, visiting parks and some occasional beach time but I noticed San Antonio doesn't have many lakes (at least from the Google map).

 

I live near Austin, but the weather is very similar to SA. We have gorgeous weather about 6 months out of the year (late Sept-late Nov and March-May). Gorgeous meaning 60's at night, high 70's-low 80's during the day. The kind of weather you want to take walks, eat outside and open all the windows in the house (which we did yesterday).

 

Dec, Jan, Feb the weather really varies. We're usually outside most of Dec with some rainy days and alternating cold and warm days. It's usually in the 60's. Jan and Feb is usually when we get cold, blustery weather. But then you might get an 80 degree weekend in Feb.

 

June is usually in the 90's. I love it, but DH thinks it's hot. It just depends on preference. July-mid Sept is very hot in the high 90's to low 100's. You can be outside at 8am mowing the lawn or taking a walk, but by 10am you'll probably want to be by the pool or doing something inside. There is some humidity, but not too bad. The heat lasts for only 3 months out of an otherwise very enjoyable year.

 

I lived in MN as a child and it seemed like winter lasted 9 months and summer was 2 weeks! Of course that's an exaggeration, but by those standards TX weather is lovely. I also lived in the CA Bay Area for 12 years and I found that to be too cold. You always need a sweater. Now when I go back to visit in the summers I need a parka!

 

As for camping, Texas has LOTS of state parks. We have friends who camp every other weekend and it seems like they're always visiting a different park. I'm not sure about lakes in SA, but we have several large lakes for boating within 30 minutes drive near Austin.

Edited May 13, 2012 by amtmcm

[KungFuPanda]

MD is pretty straightforward. You notify the county each year that you're continuing to homeschool, and you are reviewed each year, by either the county or an umbrella group, for evidence of having and executing an educational plan. (parents are reviewed, not children) There is no testing, no attendance, etc.

 

We have full-spectrum weather. Hot and humid in the summer, cold in the winter. Snow is not guaranteed, but it happens fairly often. And people lose.their.minds every time.

 

We also have beaches and lots of other day-trip attractions. In the Ft Meade area, you'd be perfectly situated for DC, Baltimore, and Philly, beach trips in summer, PA apple picking in fall, ski and tubing trips in winter, hiking in Western MD year round...

 

I love homeschooling in MD, and if you go the umbrella group, your 'review' can be a chat with a peer and an annual form. It's much simpler than some websites make it sound. You will never run out of cool field trips, and it's easy to find every type of homeschooler, so if you want an inclusive group they exist.

 

Commuting to Ft Meade is the tricky part. If you are close enough for a reasonable drive, you're just not going to have acreage. If you MUST have those chickens, you could be sentencing your husband to a Super Commute. Although now is the best time to buy in years, real estate is expensive here and unless you're coming from NY, CA, or some other high COL area you can expect sticker shock.

 

I think the convenience of having every service in the world located minutes from your house makes homeschooling really nice. The weather here is nice too, except for some mugginess in the summer. A LOT of folks with kids choose to live in Columbia and make the short drive to Ft. Meade, so you may want to peek at real estate there to see what it's like. Gas is expensive here. Services are expensive. There are shopping bargains to be had because of competing stores in close proximity and you will have several choices for things like dance studios and recreational sports.

 

HTH

[NittanyJen]

We left CO for Delaware 12 years ago, and I still miss nearly everything about Colorado. Okay, everything. It was an amazing place to live; we loved the climate, our community, the geography, the weather....

 

I was hoping to look at the map and tell you that you could work in Ft. Meade and live in southern DE, with beach access, plenty of inexpensive room for your chickens, great climate, and a fantastic homeschool climate (check in with state 2X per year; tell them how many kids in September, how many days attended in July), easy to homeschool on your own or with your pick of secular or religious co-ops and field trips, and easy access to Philly, Baltiomore, DC, and New York. But it looks like that would be a haul for you.

 

Colorado is also terrific-- I really miss it! I agree with a PP... Colorado rocks!

[Outdoorsy Type]

Texas would be the easiest to HS, but I would choose CO. We go there on vacation every year. It's our "some day" home. :) There are just so many things to do there, and the people are extremely friendly.

[Night Elf]

Just in case you end up in Georgia, it isn't a horible place to homeschool. We have to turn in a yearly 'Declaration of Intent' form. Each month we turn in attendance which is nothing more than a calendar form where you place an X in the box to show you did school that day. Placing that X is supposed to show you're in agreement with their policy that you must homeschool at least 4.5 hrs. each school day. At the end of the year you are supposed to write a progress report about how the year went. You keep that for your own records, it does not get turned in. At the end of 3rd, 6th, and 9th grades, you are supposed to give a standardized test, but the results are yours to keep, you do not turn them in to anyone.

 

And I'll admit that nearly all the homeschoolers that I've talked to about attendance agree that the 4.5 hrs. is anything you can count for school so no one worries about it. I did meet one woman who had her children sit for 4.5 hours a day and work on schoolwork. If they completed their assignments, she gave them busy work because "that's what schools do." I've never seen anyone else interpret that policy the way that woman did.

[KungFuPanda]

I never did ask . . .what's more important to your lifestyle? Do you want a home that is a self-contained haven . . .gardens, animals, solitude, space, etc . . . ? Or is your family happier when they are out on adventures and have easy access to regular activities and convenient social opportunities? What means more to your family? Never having to hear your neighbors or smell their BBQ, OR being able to get more milk in five minutes and getting to your co-op in ten minutes? How you feel about these things can effect the advice you get.

[Chelli]

I've lived in both CO (for two years) and TX (for almost 6 years).

 

The weather in CO is the best I've ever experienced. The winters are mild compared to what you would think. You do get snow (sometimes a lot!), but it generally melts the next day or two. And then it will be in the 50's again and sunny.

 

I do like that CO allows homeschoolers to take classes and participate in sports at the local school. That would make my daughter's love of art and music much easier to handle. The big down side is cost of living in CO. It costs at least twice as much if not more to live in CO than it does TX. Where our 1500 square foot house with 1/2 acre yard cost us $125,000 here in TX, it would have cost us about $200,000 in CO (maybe more). Plus gas and food are more expensive as well.

 

Since you are from Florida, I don't think that Texas heat and summers would be much of a shock to you. I grew up in Arkansas and here in the Houston area it's pretty comparable to Arkansas summers where I lived. I will say, though, that I've been to Florida once in July and it was awful humidity! :tongue_smilie: San Antonio is one of my favorite places to visit. If ever given the opportunity to live there I probably would.

 

The pluses for Texas are that homeschooling is probably the least regulated of any state in the US and the cost of living is very low.

 

Good luck on your decision. :)

[KungFuPanda]

I do like that CO allows homeschoolers to take classes and participate in sports at the local school. That would make my daughter's love of art and music much easier to handle. The big down side is cost of living in CO. It costs at least twice as much if not more to live in CO than it does TX. Where our 1500 square foot house with 1/2 acre yard cost us $125,000 here in TX, it would have cost us about $200,000 in CO (maybe more). Plus gas and food are more expensive as well.

:)

 

I think you'll find the Ft Meade area even more expensive than Colorado. There's a LOT to do here between DC and Baltimore, but real estate is just so expensive that it can be difficult to get ahead. You just won't do better than Texas in the COL/homeschooling laws arena. The only snag I'd see is if your religion is significantly different from the majority of the homeschoolers in your area. I have friends who couldn't move fast enough over this.

[ZeldaRules]

Texas is so homeschool friendly. San Antonio is beautiful. It is not a huge huge downtown and seems easy to get to and around. You have the hill country there too. San Antonio is one of my favorite cities. I live in Houston. It is so easy to homeschool here.

[In the Rain]

sorry. Wrong thread.

[Chelli]

TX is super easy for homeschooling. We are not enjoying the heat, humidity and bugs, but the sunshine is pretty. :001_smile: Allergies are insane here (Dallas). It has been life altering for our family, and we are looking to leave for the sake of everyone's health. :001_huh:

 

My husband had worse allergies in Denver than he does in Houston. :confused:

 

Apparently this is not the norm!

[In the Rain]

My husband had worse allergies in Denver than he does in Houston. :confused:

 

Apparently this is not the norm!

 

Denver, which I love, is well known for poor air quality. There were lots of days where the pollution was trapped by the mountains and the sky was just brown. :ack2: Is that what bothers your dh or is it a plant? The altitude can be bad for some people too.

 

I don't know about Houston, or SanAntonio, but Dallas is supposed to be the focal point of winds from many different areas, causing a concentrated allergy load.

[Ellie]

Of those states, Texas is the only one which has zero requirements to homeschool--no notice of intent, no annual testing, no recordkeeping at all. To me, that's as friendly as it gets. :D

 

There are many homeschoolers in all of those states, and they have active homeschool organizations, and so in that sense they are "friendly." But the state with no accountability goes to the top of my Friendly List.

[Chelli]

Denver, which I love, is well known for poor air quality. I lived there for 7 years in college, and there were lots of days where the pollution was trapped by the mountains and the sky was just brown. :ack2: Is that what bothers your dh or is it a plant? The altitude can be bad for some people too.

 

I don't know about Houston, or SanAntonio, but Dallas is supposed to be the focal point of winds from many different areas, causing a concentrated allergy load. Our doctor's recommendation is to move. :o

 

It was some kind of tree (maybe cedar) that was found in that area. He was miserable for most of the year. But quite a few people had moved to Denver to escape pollen. Go figure!

[hellen]

I've lived in three of those areas but homeschooled in none of them so I'll chime in on the other stuff.

 

The best thing about the Ft. Meade area was the location. We were able to visit so many historic areas. Your best bet for land with a decent commute will be Crownsville. There are also some areas between Odenton and Bowie but I think there are environmental concerns there. Actually there are probably lots of little pockets in Anne Arundel County. The cost of living is high. I just remembered there is a park there where 4H kids can house their animals. I don't know if that would be enough for you. What I didn't like was the weather which would be nothing to you in the summer but the winters were cold, gray, and windy. The area is crowded. There are lots of two income households so it was harder to meet people. My kids weren't old enough to be homeschooled so perhaps it would have easier if they were older. Maryland is a good choice if location to history is important and you make enough money to afford the high cost of housing.

 

Denver would be my top pick. I adore the drier weather. It is an outdoorsy state with lots of open spaces. The city is designed to make it easy to get out and be outside. There are large sidewalks, numerous playgrounds, just lots of community space. In general though lots are small. There is not nearly as much history or culture as you would find in MD. It's a slower and friendlier lifestyle than MD. If you want lots of land you'll have way more luck here for a reasonable price. There are few bugs. It doesn't snow that much and winters are sunny. Colorado would be your best bet if you are into nature and outdoor activities. I should add that there are lots of homeschool enrichment options in Denver. The most popular is called Options and is one day per week. You should be able to google it. Colorado is also good for fresh produce. We had milk delivery there from a local dairy. I miss that. I was able to walk to the grocery store and a dozen playgrounds. I could ride my bike to the library and rec center.

 

San Antonio was hot for me but it would be normal for you. I liked the Mexican influence on the culture of the area. Schlitterbaun is not too far away and it is the best waterpark. It's been a long time since I lived there so I can't give you as much help here.

[tntgoodwin]

:bigear:

 

I live in Oahu now, lived a long time in Texas, and am planning to end up in Colorado.

The other states you listed are also possibilities for places I could get stationed. Based on those locations listed, it sounds like your husband and I probably have similar jobs...:001_smile:

 

I wouldn't recommend Hawaii on that list. It isn't terrible for homeschooling, and a lot of people here do it, but it is pricey to live here. Keep in mind also travel expenses if you want to go visit the mainland, and shipping expenses as well.

[Lara in Colo]

I have lived in two of the states you are asking about.

I grew up in the Texas Hillcountry and if you move to Texas, move there; less humity and heat.

 

I live in Colorado and I find it VERY homeschool friendy. Just because Texas ignores the HSers (legally) doesn't make them friendly.

 

My county has a one day a week enrichment program that also pays for our curriculum (Sonlight, WWE, MCT, MUS, singapore...)

They are very helpful and sincerly interested in making a bridge between the ps and hs communities.

 

We had a discussion last week about adding high school to the enrichment program and what we as parents wanted and what the program would look like.

 

People don't blink an eye when I say I homeschool. Most people give me encouragement.

 

Our library is overrun with homeschoolers and have lots of support materials (I found song school latin there last week and suggested they get the book: LOE:D)

 

My county allows me to use the teacher resource library (laminator) and I can check out the cool skeletons and other body models.

 

Colorado weather.

Not bad. It is dry here. IF you want green grass, you will pay for it. We are a semi-arid climate that has kentucky bluegrass in most yards:confused:.

Research that before you move (the cost of the water in the neighborhood).

 

Cost of living is higher than other states.

 

overall, for homeschooling, great place (depending on the county, of course)

 

Lara

[KungFuPanda]

What itnreally looks like in Howard County Md:

 

First, fill in a form telling the county you intend to homeschool. You do this once at the beginning of your homeschooling adventure

 

Next, take in a 3 ring binder with work samples and talk about your child for 15 minutes. The first year they actually follow the law and review you twice a year. After that you go in once a year. If you generate paper for ever subject, this is pretty quick and painless. These samples are accompanied by a single page form where you list your materials/classes by subject.

 

The county review is actually pretty quick and painless as long as you dodge one particular reviewer with the initials V.L.. However, if you're disorganized you may spend the day before scrambling to find samples and punching holes. I always scrambled.

 

If portfolio reviewing is too daunting, you can buy out by going the umbrella route. :D The aforementioned MPNL requires a fee, an annual single paged form, and a face-to-face meeting once a year. (This is generally a chat on a field trip.). if you do more untraditional schooling, or simply think it's worth the money to skip putting together a portfolio, this is an easy way to comply with the law.