Washtenaw County · Tree Town · 48103-48108

Ann Arbor Online Homeschool: Accredited K-12, Built for How Smart This Town Is

Self-paced. Nationally accredited. Mastery over seat time.

In a city this academic, the question isn’t whether the schools are good. It’s whether a one-pace classroom fits a student who’s ready to move faster, slower, or just differently.

24
credits in HSOA’s accredited diploma
K-12
full grade range, one accredited school
24hr
certified-teacher response time
0
state-mandated tests for Michigan homeschoolers
The Ann Arbor Reality

Good District. Real Turbulence. Your Student, in the Middle.

Let’s say the true thing first: Ann Arbor Public Schools performs well. Proficiency rates here run roughly triple the statewide average. Families don’t leave AAPS because it’s failing. They leave because of what’s been happening underneath, and because average pace was never designed for their particular student.

$20.4M
in budget cuts approved for 2024-25 over parent protests, after a $25M shortfall
94
teaching positions among 140 total cut, with programs eliminated alongside
6%
enrollment decline over five years, and as of March 2026 teachers were still working without a contract
Sources: Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public, and CBS Detroit reporting on the 2024-25 AAPS budget; The Detroit News, March 2026, on ongoing contract and enrollment pressures. AAPS proficiency figures from state assessment data.

A district can be excellent on average and still be the wrong container for a student who’s two grades ahead in math, an athlete training before dawn, or a kid who does their best thinking at 8 p.m. That’s not a criticism of Ann Arbor’s teachers. It’s arithmetic about one pace fitting thirty students at once.

Course Description

The Syllabus

Every course in this town has one. Here’s ours, for the whole K-12 program.

HSOA · Full Program · Open Enrollment
Your Student’s Education, K-12
PrerequisitesNone. Existing transcripts and credits are reviewed and transfer in.
Meeting TimeWhenever your student learns best. Morning, evening, around practices and rehearsals.
LocationAnywhere with a connection. Kerrytown kitchen table, a lab-parent’s office, a tournament hotel.
GradingMastery-based. Students move on when the material is learned, not when the bell rings.
Instructor AccessCertified teachers, responses within 24 hours, plus a live parent dashboard.
Required TextsAll coursework included online. Nothing extra to buy or track down.
Add/Drop PeriodYear-round. Enroll any week, including mid-semester, with credits carried forward.
OutcomeA 24-credit accredited diploma on a transcript admissions offices already know how to read.

The full American curriculum behind it covers every subject Michigan law names, from phonics to Algebra 2, so compliance with MCL 380.1561 is automatic. Details from the Michigan Department of Education, or one call: (888) 242-4262.

Not Required

Notice of intentMichigan asks for no filing with the state or AAPS. You withdraw directly.

Not Required

State testingNo mandatory M-STEP for home-educated students.

Built In

Required subjectsAll nine subjects in MCL 380.1561 are part of the curriculum.

HSOA Handles It

Records & diplomaAn accredited school carries transcripts, grading, and the diploma.

The 74,000-Search Question

Homeschool Curriculum With Actual Depth Behind It

“Homeschool curriculum” is the most-searched phrase in home education nationally. In Ann Arbor the bar for an answer is higher than most places, which suits us fine.

Elementary (K-5)
Phonics-forward reading
Foundational math
Early science
Social studies
Middle School (6-8)
Pre-algebra → Algebra 1
Life · Earth · Physical science
ELA
World studies
High School (9-12)
Algebra 2 · Geometry
Biology · Chemistry
4 years English
Electives & dual-enrollment prep

Certified teachers respond within 24 hours, and a parent dashboard shows exactly what was completed today, which in this town is precisely the kind of data parents actually want.

See the exact curriculum for your student’s grade

One short call maps precisely where your student would start.

Talk to a Counselor

Every Grade, One Accredited School

K-12 Online Homeschool Programs for Ann Arbor Students

The name says High School. The program runs kindergarten through 12th grade.

Grades K-5
Elementary
  • Science-of-Reading phonics instruction
  • Math that moves at your child’s speed, both directions
  • Parent dashboard with live progress

K-5 online elementary program →

Grades 6-8
Middle School
  • Pre-algebra to Algebra 1, as early as ready
  • Coherent 3-year science progression
  • No program-cut or boundary-change whiplash

Online middle school, grades 6-8 →

Grades 9-12
High School
  • 24-credit accredited diploma
  • Room built in for dual enrollment
  • Transcript colleges already know how to read

Online high school, grades 9-12 →

Support, Compared Honestly

Office Hours

Everyone in this town knows how office hours work. Here’s the comparison that actually matters for a K-12 student working independently.

The Classic Model
2 hours, once a week

Sign-up sheet on the door. Hope your question can wait until Thursday, and that the line isn’t long when Thursday comes.

How HSOA Runs It
Within 24 hours, every day

Certified teachers answer coursework questions within a day, all year. The parent dashboard means you never wonder what got done, either.

Self-paced never means self-taught. It means the help arrives on your student’s clock instead of a sign-up sheet’s.

Ready to see your student’s graduation plan?

We’ll map the exact path from where your student is now to a 24-credit diploma.

Start Enrollment

For the Student Who Finishes the Packet by Tuesday

The Honors Track

Ann Arbor produces a particular kind of student: the one who’s bored by February. Mastery-based pacing is built for exactly that kid, and it runs in four steps.

Step 01

Master, Don’t Wait

Coursework advances the moment it’s learned. A student strong in math simply keeps going. No February wall.

Step 02

Accelerate the Sequence

Ready for Algebra 1 in 7th grade? The sequence follows readiness, not birth year, across the course catalog.

Step 03

Add College Credit

Washtenaw Community College’s dual-enrollment program is open to homeschooled students, per WCC’s published packet, with the parent signing as program leader.

Step 04

Graduate With a Head Start

An accredited 24-credit diploma plus real college credit already banked. A counselor can map the sequencing.

And for the student who needs the opposite, more time on a concept without an audience watching, mastery pacing works exactly the same way in reverse. That’s the point of it.

Questions Ann Arbor Families Actually Ask

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to notify Ann Arbor Public Schools when I start homeschooling?+

No. Michigan requires no notice to AAPS or the state. You withdraw your student directly, and once enrolled at HSOA you operate under MCL 380.1561 as a nonpublic school family.

My student is ahead of grade level and bored. Can they actually accelerate?+

Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons Ann Arbor families enroll. Mastery-based pacing means a student who demonstrates the material moves forward immediately, in any subject, without waiting for a cohort.

Can a homeschooled student dual-enroll at Washtenaw Community College?+

Yes. WCC’s published dual-enrollment materials include homeschooled students, with the parent or program leader completing the counselor form and the student meeting WCC’s placement requirements. A counselor can walk through how HSOA families typically sequence it.

We’re a dual-career university family with impossible schedules. Is this realistic?+

Yes. Coursework is self-paced rather than live-taught, so school fits around lab schedules, clinics, and travel. Certified teachers respond within 24 hours and the parent dashboard takes under a minute to check from anywhere.

My child has an IEP or 504 plan. What happens if we leave AAPS?+

District IEP services no longer apply once you enroll in a private school. A counselor can walk through how HSOA’s self-paced structure accommodates learning differences directly, which for many families is the reason they made the change.

Can we enroll mid-year, and do current credits transfer?+

Yes to both. Enrollment is open year-round, and credits already earned this school year are reviewed and applied toward the 24-credit diploma. Nothing is lost by switching in February instead of September.

Questions before you start?

Call (888) 242-4262. A real counselor answers, not a phone tree.

Request Information