SB26-023 Colorado’s Publicly Funded Enrichment Homeschool Program Changes- What Families Need to Know

Colorado homeschool families have had a lot of questions lately about the recent changes affecting publicly funded homeschool enrichment programs.

If you’ve been trying to sort through updates online, conversations in homeschool groups, or information from programs and districts, you are not alone. There has been a lot to process.

The bill itself includes pages of language related to funding, reporting, program operations, district boundaries, and oversight requirements. Much of that is directed toward school districts and publicly funded programs—not homeschool families directly.

So let’s simplify it.

First, the Most Important Thing to Know About SB26-023 Homeschool Enrichment Funding

Before we talk about publicly funded programs, we want to say this clearly:

Colorado’s homeschool law has not changed.

Your homeschool freedoms remain fully intact.

Families homeschooling in Colorado still have the same freedoms they had before.

There has been no change to the homeschool law itself.

There has been no change to your freedom to homeschool privately.

There has been no change to your ability to:

• homeschool your children at home

• choose your own curriculum

• direct your child’s education

• keep your own records

• file a Notice of Intent (NOI), or

• enroll in an umbrella school to fulfill legal reporting requirements

Those freedoms remain exactly the same.

So What Did Change?

What changed is not the homeschool law.

SB26-023 Homeschool Enrichment Funding changed how publicly funded homeschool enrichment programs are allowed to operate and who may participate in them.

This legislation primarily affects the programs themselves—how they are funded, how they verify enrollment, how they report to the state, and what requirements they must meet. For homeschool families, most of those operational details won’t affect day-to-day homeschooling at home.

But one piece does matter directly to families.

What Matters Most for Families

Now, students participating in a publicly funded homeschool enrichment program cannot also be enrolled in an umbrella school to fulfill legal reporting requirements.

That means families using a publicly funded homeschool program must file a Notice of Intent (NOI) with a school district.

This is now the required reporting path for families who want to continue participating in publicly funded homeschool programs.

What Has Not Changed

This part matters too. These changes do not mean families lose access to homeschool support. Families can still choose to work with private homeschool organizations for support, tools, and services.

That includes things like:

• attendance logs

• transcript tools

• student and teacher ID cards

• recordkeeping resources

• homeschool documentation support

• parent resources

• high school planning help

The restriction applies specifically to umbrella school enrollment to fulfill legal reporting requirements while participating in a publicly funded program.

It does not prevent families from using separate homeschool support services.

How Do I Know If My Homeschool Program Is Publicly Funded?

A simple way to think about it is this:

If the program your student attends is connected to a public school district, charter school, or BOCES and receives public education funding for your student’s participation, it is publicly funded.

Many of these programs offer things homeschool families love, such as:

• enrichment classes

• electives

• academic classes

• learning centers

• microschool-style programs

• campus days

• teacher support

• curriculum support

• access to school resources

If the program is funded with public dollars for your child’s participation, these new rules likely apply.

Signs Your Program May Be Publicly Funded

Your program is publicly funded if:

• it is run through a school district

• it is connected to a charter school

• it is operated through a BOCES program

• your student has a district or charter enrollment number connected to participation

• the program has asked for enrollment verification paperwork

• you have been told you must file a Notice of Intent (NOI) to continue participating

• the program receives per-pupil funding from the state for enrolled students

You May Want to Ask Your Program Directly If:

If you’re unsure, the easiest thing to do is ask your program:

“Is this a publicly funded homeschool program, and does participation require my student to file an NOI rather than enroll in an umbrella school to fulfill legal reporting requirements?”

Your program should be able to answer that clearly. Some programs are already communicating directly with families about what enrollment requirements will look like for 2026–2027 and others don't have too many answers and are waiting for more clarification from the Colorado Department of Education.

If your program is publicly funded, these changes apply.

If your homeschool is fully private and you are not participating in a publicly funded homeschool program, these changes do not affect your homeschool freedom or your reporting options.

Can Families Filing an NOI Still Use Statheros Homeschooling?

Yes. Families using publicly funded programs can still use Statheros Homeschooling support services.

What they cannot do is be enrolled in Statheros Academy to fulfill legal reporting requirements while also participating in a publicly funded homeschool program.

This distinction is exactly why we created The Homeschool Society.

The Homeschool Society

When these changes became clear, we knew many families would still need support.

Many families still wanted access to the practical tools we provide, including:

• homeschool record-keeping resources

• attendance logs

• transcript support

• ID cards

• document organization

• parent resources

• high school paperwork tools

…but would no longer be able to enroll in an umbrella school because they are participating in a publicly funded program.

So we built The Homeschool Society to serve that need.

The Homeschool Society is for families who are filing an NOI and still want access to the administrative tools, documentation support, and homeschool resources we offer—without enrolling in Statheros Academy.

It allows families to continue receiving practical support while using a different path to fulfill legal reporting requirements.

One Last Encouragement

We know these changes have brought a lot of questions.

For some families, this has meant revisiting plans and making new decisions for the upcoming school year. This can feel overwhelming. But you do not need to figure everything out all at once.

The good news is this:

Your homeschool freedom has not changed. Your ability to homeschool your children remains fully intact.

What families need now is simply clarity around which reporting path fits their family best, and then choosing the support structure that works around that decision.

Whether that means:

Statheros Academy or The Homeschool Society we are here to support homeschool families with practical tools, clear information, and strong recordkeeping resources as you continue building the homeschool life that works best for your family.

We’re all in this together—adapting to meet each family's and child's needs and you do not have to sort through it alone.