Homeschool in Regina: Registration, Funding, and Local Support

Regina families have one of the better home-based education funding programs in Saskatchewan, and most don't know about it until after they've already missed the deadline. If you're starting home-based education in Regina, the $800 per-student funding from Regina Public School Division is worth knowing about before you register — because accessing it requires submitting a separate application by September 15.

Here's everything specific to Regina that you need to navigate the process correctly.

Which Division Do You Register With?

Two school divisions serve Regina:

• Regina Public School Division (RPSD) — the public secular division, serving most Regina addresses
• Regina Catholic School Division (RCSD) — the Catholic separate division

As with all Saskatchewan home-based education, you register with the division that covers your home address. You are not required to register with the same division your child currently attends. Both divisions follow the same provincial requirements under The Education Act, 1995 and the Home-Based Education Program Regulations, 2015.

The practical difference between the two: RPSD offers the $800 per-student funding program. RCSD's support programs vary — contact them directly to confirm what's available in the current school year.

If French is your primary language of instruction, the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises may be your registering authority rather than a public or Catholic division.

Regina's $800 Funding Program

Regina Public School Division offers approximately $800 per student per year to registered home-based education families. This is the highest division-level funding rate in Saskatchewan and one of the main reasons Regina families register with RPSD rather than RCSD even when both serve their address.

Key details:

• Application deadline: September 15 — this is a hard cutoff. Missing it means missing the funding for that school year
• Funding covers eligible education-related expenses: curriculum materials, educational software, books, learning tools, and some equipment
• You submit receipts for reimbursement — the money isn't paid upfront
• Contact RPSD's home-based education coordinator to get the funding application at the same time you pick up your registration form

The September 15 deadline is earlier than most families expect. If you're registering for September, request the funding application the moment you contact the division office — don't wait until you've finished setting up your program.

How to Register in Regina

Deadline: August 15 for a September start. Mid-year starts require 30 days' notice before your intended start date.

Contact the home-based education coordinator at your chosen division office — Regina Public at (306) 523-3000, or Regina Catholic at their division office number. Ask specifically for the home-based education coordinator, not the school you're withdrawing from and not the general switchboard.

Your registration package requires two items:

1. Home-Based Education Application form Basic student and parent information. The form is straightforward.

2. Written Educational Plan This is where families spend most of their preparation time. What it must include under provincial regulations:

• A philosophical approach statement — a short paragraph describing how you plan to educate your child (structured school-at-home, unit studies, classical, Charlotte Mason, interest-led, or whatever applies)
• At least three broad annual goals for each of: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies
• The activities, methods, and resources you'll use
• How you'll assess your child's progress

What it does not need: daily schedules, lesson plans, scope-and-sequence documents, or alignment with Saskatchewan's provincial curriculum outcomes. The plan describes your intent — it doesn't pre-approve every activity you'll do.

An educational plan that covers these elements in two or three pages is sufficient. Divisions cannot require more than what the regulations specify.

Withdrawing Your Child From Their Regina School

If your child is currently enrolled in a Regina school, you withdraw them in writing. You don't need the school's permission — you notify them. Send a brief written notice stating that your child will no longer attend and requesting that their records be transferred to you.

Submit your home-based education application with the division at the same time or immediately after sending the withdrawal notice to the school.

Some Regina families run into resistance at the school level — a principal who wants to schedule a meeting, or administrative staff who imply the withdrawal can't proceed without some additional step. None of that is legally required. Your registration with the school division is the transaction that matters. Once that's submitted, you're registered regardless of how the school responds.

Annual Reporting: What You Submit at Year-End

Every registered home-based family submits an Annual Progress Report to their division at the end of the school year. You choose between two methods:

Portfolio — a selection of your child's work demonstrating learning across the core subject areas. A narrative summary of what you covered and how your child progressed is typically included. There's no prescribed format, page count, or minimum number of samples.

Standardized test results — if you prefer formal assessment, Regina's divisions are required to make standardized testing available upon request. Submitting those results satisfies the reporting requirement.

The majority of Regina families submit portfolios. Testing is an option, not a mandate.

Online Courses and Sask DLC

The Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre offers online courses to home-based students. The threshold to know: 1 or 2 Sask DLC courses keeps your child classified as a home-based education student. 3 or more reclassifies them as an institutional student for that year.

For high school students in Regina supplementing with Sask DLC courses — for example, Chemistry 30 or French 20 — stay at two courses or fewer per year to maintain home-based status.

Local Support in Regina

Saskatchewan Home Based Educators (SHBE) is the provincial support organization. At $35 per year, membership gives you access to their annual convention (usually in Saskatoon), a directory of families by region, and a network of people navigating the same process.

Regina has a meaningful home-based education community. Through SHBE and the local Facebook groups and co-op networks that exist in the city, you'll find families organized around method, age group, subject specialties, and neighbourhood. Many co-ops in Regina operate on a rotating model where parents each take on a subject area for a small group of kids.

HSLDA Canada is available for legal support at $220 per year. Most Regina families won't need it — the registration process is well-defined and divisions generally cooperate. If you run into a school that's interfering with your withdrawal or a division official overstepping what the regulations permit, having legal representation is useful.

The Full Sequence for a Regina Family Starting in September

1. July–early August: Contact your chosen division office, request the Home-Based Education Application and the funding application at the same time
2. Before August 15: Submit your application and Written Educational Plan
3. If withdrawing from a current school: Send written notice to the school simultaneously
4. September 15: Submit the funding application to qualify for the $800 per-student reimbursement
5. Throughout the year: Keep samples of your child's work for the annual portfolio
6. Year-end: Submit your Annual Progress Report — portfolio or test results

The paperwork itself takes a few hours. The educational plan is the most involved piece, but it doesn't need to be long — it needs to be complete.

If you want the full package of Saskatchewan-specific templates — withdrawal letter, Notice of Intent, and Written Educational Plan framework — the Saskatchewan Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers every step of the process for Regina and other Saskatchewan families.

Common Questions for Regina Families

Does the $800 funding apply if I register with Regina Catholic instead of Regina Public? The $800 program is specific to Regina Public School Division. Confirm with RCSD what funding programs they offer for home-based families in the current year.

What if I miss the September 15 funding deadline? You can still register for home-based education and operate legally — you just won't access the RPSD funding for that school year. Keep the deadline in your calendar for the following year.

Do I need to follow the Saskatchewan curriculum? No. You're required to provide instruction in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, but the regulations don't require you to follow provincial curriculum outcomes or use provincially approved materials.

Can I homeschool through high school in Regina? Yes. Home-based education covers all grade levels in Saskatchewan. For Grade 12 students planning to attend university, check the specific admissions requirements for your target institutions — both U of S and U of R have defined processes for home-educated applicants.

Regina's home-based education process is more structured than some parents expect but less demanding than they fear. The funding program, in particular, makes it worth taking the registration seriously from the start.

See more Canada homeschool guides →