LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More parents said they planned to homeschool this school year than in the past, according to a national telephone poll conducted by Gallup. The poll found that 10% of the 214 parents with children K-12 were planning to homeschool their children this school year.

“Parents would have the opportunity to choose the curriculum for their child. They would get to spend more time with their children,” said Tara Rodriguez with the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).

Rodriguez said that parents should carefully review the rules and regulations that come with establishing a bona fide homeschool.

“There are so many important requirements that people need to be aware of. It really is a big decision 'cause basically they are taking over the entire responsibility of the education of their child,” she said.

Rodriguez said that the cost needs to be weighed both in terms of time and resources.

“The homeschool is responsible for selecting the curriculum, and any resources that would be needed, like books and supplies, would have to be provided by the homeschool because the Kentucky Department of Education doesn’t provide that financial assistance,” she said. "There are some curriculum resources available online, there’s some different homeschool associations they can consult,” she added.

Rodriguez said that KDE does not accredit or certify homeschools which is important for families with children close to graduation. This means they’ll need to take the GED or the SAT and ACT if they’re college-bound. Rodriguez notes that a homeschooling information packet on their website includes the full set of requirements and other useful information that parents can look over before they make the call for themselves.

“Being able to think through the costs in terms of time and resources that they will have to make those decisions about is important to decide upon before they make a decision,” she said.