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This is a question for Nathan or any other homeschool moms (or dads) out there. How much does it cost to set up and operate a decent homeschool facility? I'm thinking about it for our youngest. I imagine I could do it on a shoestring, but what are the basics (supplies, books, etc.) and how much do they cost? Can anyone refer me to a resource to help me with a checklist? Thank you.

By Lynn on Sunday, March 31, 2002 - 01:55 pm: Edit

It depends the manner in which you decide to homeschool. Those who approach from an unschooling philosophy provide lots of stimulating learning materials and allow their children to study according to their own interests. Many homes already have such materials on hand.

We did not go that route, but we've always homeschooled through some sort of program, either the public school district or public school charter, so materials have been readily available. We first homeschooled through our local public school system. It is not referred to as "homeschooling" in California, but rather "independent study." It was more structured than a charter school. Charters have become more structured of late and, I believe, will become even more so in the future. I'm still talking California here.

The public school program had a large inventory of resources that we could check out and use for the year. In addition to that, I used some Abeka texts. This is Christian curriculum, so the public schools will not have it nor will charters order it. Abeka texts run about $30-$50. I really liked their science texts, but have found history texts that I like better since using theirs.

In California, most p.s. charters allow a family budget of between $1100 and $1950 per student per year, depending on the charter and the age of the student. There are some rules for budget use, but in general, the family tells the charter what they want ordered. The charter orders it, and it is shipped to the charter facility. Then it is usually bar-coded and sent on to the family. In essence, consumables can be consumed and non-consumables are supposed to be returned to the p.s. charter when a family leaves the program. We've left two programs, and neither have asked that any materials be returned. When I first started homeschooling, it was easy to spend $1000 a year per my two kids. Within a couple of years of accumulating "stuff," I would seldom spend more than $400 or $500 per year per student and that was usually on things they didn't really need so much as want, e.g., piano music books, art supplies, computer software, etc.

I don't know if all states have charters or similar set ups, but this is how it has worked for me. When you speak of a homeschool "facility," I'm not sure whether you are just asking about curriculum or are also inquiring about the expenses for a building. Most families I know easily homeschool for under $1000 a year. If your youngest is in the primary grades, a good grammar/writing book, science and math texts are all that is necessary. Social Studies prior to 5th grade can be taught using free resources. An example would be studying the geography of the world or studying individual countries by renting travelogues, getting books from the library, seeking community resources for that country, i.e., native dancers and musicians, foreign language clubs, artisans, etc., and using the public library. Reading books are available at the public library. All the rest is up to whatever your child's interests are: music and art appreciation and lessons, learning a foreign language, team sports, cooking, etc.

Hope this helps! I'm sure others will have some good input for you, too.

By GretaB on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 09:44 am: Edit

Thanks, Lynn, for your detailed answer. Your cost quotes look pretty reasonable and I think I could afford that. The potential for hand-me-downs looks interesting too. I like the term independent study better than homeschooling. There seems to be some negativity associated with the word homeschooling. I wonder what Nathan or others here think about those words. Where did you get the Abeka books etc.? Is there a website for these materials? Thanks again for your help.

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 10:52 am: Edit

Hey Gretta! Terribly sorry for the delay; my computer has been down!

Lynn has a great post there, so there isn't a whole lot to say. I've used the Sunlight Curriculum (traditional homeschool curriculum)before, and that cost my parents several hundred a year. They saved money when they were homeschooling both myself and my brother by just passing my used texts on to him the next year.

My current online school costs quite a bit more money. I think the first year you enroll in that, they charge you a little more but then drop it down a couple hundred for each succeeding year. I get the discount, so it's like 700 dollars or so for me this year.

Barns and Noble is a lifeline for many homeschool families who don't have as much money to spread around. You can get good books from there and use them as text books at a fraction of the cost sometimes.

Lastly, I've heard of families who name their school and issue their children ID cards in order to get discounts at certain local businesses. While I've never done it, I understand a couple movie theaters and restraunts give out discounts to homeschoolers with IDs durring certain business hours.

By Dave Berry on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 03:15 pm: Edit

Naming a home-based school sounds like fun. What would you have named yours had you been elected to do so, Nathan? "Nate's Place High School"?

By Nathan (Homeschool) on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 10:54 am: Edit

Pretty much, Dave! I'm not too creative when it comes to those types of things. I have always reserved {Last Name Here} Academy as my school name in case I ever had to come up with something. I've never heard of a real creative name.

By Carol on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 04:40 pm: Edit

Hi. I'm the mother of two teens who've homeschooled/unschooled for 10 yrs. I bookmarked this site a couple of months ago, but didn't have time to visit until now.

When my children were quite young, and our budget was tight, I rarely spent more than $300/yr. on books & software (not counting things I would have bought anyway, such as sheet music & craft supplies.) We were frequent visitors to several libraries and used "real" books far more than texts. Garage sales, library sales, and birthday/Christmas gifts from relatives supplemented our own book collection. Friends whose finances were tighter than ours managed to homeschool elementary school age children quite well on a far more limited budget, buying only paper, pencils, & craft supplies. Our local libraries had a good assortment of educational software, and our flexible schedule enabled us to visit when the computers were rarely in use. Some libraries carried copies of textbooks, and permitted extended checkout times for educators (including homeschoolers.) Homeschooling/unschooling can be done, and done well, on the cheap.

A few years ago, I mentioned on a homeschool board that we then spent approx. $3K/yr. for our two kids, which included budgeting for a new computer every other year, and sending them to several science workshops & other outside classes. I was jumped on for "scaring" potential homeschoolers w/ my extravagance. Obviously it's a very individual thing, and depends greatly on a family's income & other expenses. Last yr. was probably our most costly, as we bought new computers for both kids, upgraded my computer, bought a number of test-prep books/CDs, and treated ourselves to an end-of-year celebration at Discovery Cove in the spring. :-) In comparison, I know that sending my two kids to the local Catholic high school would cost approx. $8K/yr., and sending them to a nearby private secular high school would cost approx. $11K/yr.

Most states do not have a reimbursement plan or school-at-home under the public school's supervision set-up. Many longtime homeschoolers prefer things that way, as there will generally be strings attached to any government-dispersed funds. If I were to accept govt. money, then my fellow taxpayers might reasonably feel they had a right to know how I was spending it & the school superintendents might also feel a right to review & approve of my curriculum (or lack thereof.) IMHO, I'd rather be completely independent.

As for naming your homeschool, some states such as NC actually require it when you register. Others don't (& some do not require any registration.) My dh attended a Jesuit prep school & we met at a Jesuit university, so that influenced our choice of homeschool name. Having a school name also comes in handy when applying for educator discounts at stores such as Barnes & Noble or Zany Brainy.

As for any negative connotations associated w/ "homeschooling" it's my opinion that folks who have made up their minds about homeschooling will feel the same way no matter what you call it. We usually use the term "unschoolers" because we don't copy institutional school methods, but I also tend to use the phrase "self-directed learners" when referring to my kids.

BTW, for anyone who's serious about homeschooling teens, I strongly suggest reading Cafi Cohen's books on homeschooling teens & college admissions. Linda Dobson's "The Homeschooling Book of Answers" is also helpful.

By lucky on Thursday, June 06, 2002 - 05:14 pm: Edit

I'm going into my 4th year of homeschooling this year so far have found that it's not HOW much money you spend, how many books they have or anything else you can buy that makes the difference, its how you deliver the info. to the child that makes it interesting and fun. I get alot of my stuff free off of some great web sites because I cant find it in a book. I try to have relatives buy science kits as gifts and use the library often. Like anything else, you will find a way! God Bless!

By Dadster on Thursday, June 06, 2002 - 11:17 pm: Edit

Good point, lucky... Kind of similar to the way that schools that have the highest per-pupil expenditures often don't do as well as schools that spend far less.