Enrolling in a church (cover) school has been the most common way of homeschooling in Alabama for over 30 years. These schools offer many types of support and can be especially helpful to families just starting out in the homeschool world. While their activities are not mandated by law, each school is expected to outline educational requirements for their students. 

Most church schools also provide numerous services such as sending high school transcripts to those requesting them, signatures for official documents such as driver’s permit forms, work permit forms, and social security paperwork for government checks, etc..  They generally vary in cost depending on what services they offer. For example, some church schools that are very “hands off” may cost very little, while others that offer a variety of services may charge a monthly fee.

Most church schools have requirements such as grade reporting, quarterly meetings, testing, or curriculum approval. This accountability is helpful to many who find these requirements helpful to stay on track, or just appreciate the added layers of support. Some church schools also offer exclusive social, extracurricular, co-op and academic club opportunities and graduation ceremonies.