There are three ways to legally homeschool in Alabama;
1) Homeschooling with a Church School
2) Homeschooling with a private school
3) Homeschooling with a private tutor.
You can find detailed information about each option at this link:
https://hslda.org/content/hs101/AL.aspx
SMA functions legally under the Church school law listed below.
Alabama Code[1]
CHURCH SCHOOL
Includes only schools that offer instruction in grades
K-12, or any combination thereof, including preschool, through on-site or home
programs, and are operated as a ministry of a local church, group of churches,
denomination, and/or association of churches which do not receive any state or
federal funding.
COMPULSATORY AGE
Ages of children required to attend school; exemption
for church school students; transfer students.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b),
every child between the ages of six and 17 years shall be required to attend a
public school, private school, church school, or be instructed by a competent
private tutor for the entire length of the school term in every scholastic year
except that, prior to attaining his or her 16th birthday every child attending
a church school as defined in Section 16-28-1 is exempt from the requirements
of this section, provided such child complies with enrollment and reporting
procedure specified in Section 16-28-7. Admission to public school shall be on
an individual basis on the application of the parents, legal custodian, or
guardian of the child to the local board of education at the beginning of each
school year, under such rules and regulations as the board may prescribe. The
parent, legal custodian, or guardian of a child who is six years of age, may
opt out of enrolling their child in school at the age of six years by notifying
the local school board of education, in writing, that the child will not be
enrolled in school until he or she is seven years of age.
ENROLLMENT/WITHDRAWAL
At the end of the fifth day from the opening of the
public school, the principal teacher of each public school, private school, and
each private tutor, but not church school, shall report on forms prescribed by
the State Superintendent of Education to the county superintendent of
education, in the event the school is operated in territory under the control and
supervision of the county board of education, or to the city superintendent of
schools, in the event the school is operated in territory under the control and
supervision of a city board of education, the names and addresses of all
children of mandatory school attendance age who have enrolled in such schools;
and thereafter, throughout the compulsory attendance period, the principal
teacher of each school and private tutor shall report at least weekly the names
and addresses of all children of mandatory school attendance age who enroll in
the school or who, having enrolled, were absent without being excused, or whose
absence was not satisfactorily explained by the parent, guardian, or other
person having control of the child. The enrollment and attendance of a child in
a church school shall be filed with the local public school superintendent by
the parent, guardian, or other person in charge or control of the child on a
form provided by the superintendent or his or her agent which shall be
countersigned by the administrator of the church school and returned to the
public school superintendent by the parent. Should the child cease attendance
at a church school, the parent, guardian, or other person in charge or control
of the child shall by prior consent at the time of enrollment direct the church
school to notify the local public school superintendent or his or her agent
that the child no longer is in attendance at a church school. This section may
not be interpreted or construed as authorizing the Department of Education, the
State Board of Education, or the State Superintendent of Education to license
or regulate any private, nonpublic, or church school offering instruction in
grades K-12, or any combination thereof.
According to Alabama Code it is the
parent’s responsibility to file a church school enrollment form with the local
public school district superintendent.
ATTENDANCE
All school officers, including those in private schools,
or private tutors, but not those in church schools, in this state offering
instruction to pupils within the compulsory attendance ages, shall make and
furnish all reports that may be required by the State Superintendent of
Education and by the county superintendent of education or by the board of
education of any city with reference to the workings of this article. The
principal teacher of each public school, private school, church school and each
private tutor shall keep an attendance register showing the enrollment of the
school and every absence of each enrolled child from school for a half day or
more during each school day of the year.
AL Code § 16-28-17 (2015)
WHEN CHILD MAY BE TAKEN INTO
CUSTODY
It shall be the duty of the attendance officer,
probation officer or other officer authorized to execute writs of arrest to
take into custody without warrant any child required to attend school or be
instructed by a private tutor who is found away from home and not in the
custody of the person having charge or control of such child during school
hours and who has been reported by any person authorized to begin proceedings
or prosecutions under the provisions of this article as a truant. Such child
shall forthwith be delivered to the person having charge or control of said
child or to the principal teacher of the school or the private tutor from whom
said child is a truant. If such child is an habitual truant, he shall be
brought before the juvenile court for such disposition as the judge of said
court finds proper from the facts.
