Want to start or steward a thriving homeschool community? Legal expert Darren Jones and veteran group leader Sarah McCubbin reveal how to do it well, drawing on decades of hands-on experience to help you navigate challenges, avoid common mistakes, and unlock real growth.

Rethinking the Homeschool Group: The New Landscape

Not long ago, homeschooling was a fringe endeavor, but as Sarah McCubbin observes, “Homeschooling has really exploded the last five, six years.” Today’s parents have options ranging from casual park meetups to robust co-ops, resource centers, farm schools, and micro-schools. This expanding ecosystem is a gift, but also creates complexity. More choices mean more decisions and higher stakes when forming groups.

Yet, as Darren Jones cautions, “Not everyone who has a group does it well… sometimes there’s problems and we would like to avoid those problems.” Drawing on decades with HSLDA advising families and organizations, Darren Jones sees clear patterns. Here’s what really matters.

Foundations First: Vision, Adaptation, and Honest Assessment

A successful group begins with clarity of purpose. Darren Jones explains that new leaders often approach him with vague or conflicting ideas. He highlights the importance of asking, “If you could do exactly what you want to do, what would your group look like?” Some leaders envision a handful of families meeting for enrichment, others a multifaceted non-profit, or a robust five-day program.

Sarah McCubbin adds further nuance, noting, “Sometimes people don’t really think about the fact that they should consider that their policies might grow with their children.” She encourages leaders to think about where their group might be in five or ten years.

But Darren Jones cautions against over-planning at the expense of adaptability. “I try and help them set a foundation so that they can adapt and grow as they need to.” The best-run groups, he notes, are those with strong initial practices that remain agile as their community evolves.

Getting Specific: Policies, Legal Structures, and Money Management

Homeschool group administration can sound overwhelming, but the mechanics are crucial. Darren Jones recommends several types of policies and organizational documents from day one:

Clear, Protective Policies

Child Protection: “If they are going to have children on premises, they need a child protection policy,” he insists. From defining who is a mandatory reporter to outlining how allegations are addressed, having processes in writing shields children and leaders. He shares an example from California where the absence of clear guidelines around student misconduct led to a “four-alarm fire” of community outrage and confusion.

Financial Safeguards: “You want someone competent and capable to be taking care of the money… and then you want someone whose job it is to watch the person who’s taking care of the money.” Lax oversight, he warns, can result in everything from mismanagement to outright theft, as when a startup treasurer “moved, and as far as we could tell… took the money with them.”

Codes of Conduct: Address not just student behavior, but also teacher expectations, discipline escalation, and even edge-case scenarios. One group’s 3-strikes policy came under scrutiny when “one boy had pulled a knife on another boy at co-op, but it was his first offense.” Such moments reveal the need for latitude: “You should probably redraft your policy to make it clear that in safety issues, no, you don’t get three pulls of the knife.”

Legal Structure and Compliance

Whether to operate as a non-profit or an LLC depends on scale, mission, and planned finances. Darren Jones observes, “There is a nice little provision of federal law that says if you want to operate as a nonprofit and you’re bringing in less than $5,000 a year, you can self-declare.” Larger operations, however, need proper filings, bookkeeping, and governance. He warns, “If you’re planning on setting up as a business and bringing in $40,000 or $50,000… do you need to get a bookkeeper… and do your tax filings on time?”

Location matters, too. Resource centers or regular gatherings in a rented building can implicate zoning, fire safety, daycare laws, and more. Darren Jones recounts one Midwest group whose plans were derailed: “less than a week later, they were contacted by the fire department who said, oh, we understand you’re going to be using this building for educational purposes. Did you know it doesn’t have a sprinkler system… and that’s at least $50,000.”

When Things Go Wrong: Conflict, Compliance, and Clean Starts

Even well-intentioned leaders sometimes inherit messy situations: out-of-date bylaws, missing bank records, or informal habits that no longer fit. Sometimes, “the bank account was set up 25 years ago and it was a treasurer who has died or moved out of state 10 years ago.” Darren Jones recommends conducting a full review, focusing on financial foundations and legal compliance, just as you would when forming a group from scratch.

If you discover “the group has been bringing in like $35,000, $40,000 a year, has not paid taxes on it ever, and has never done any IRS filings,” his advice is direct: “If it were me, I wouldn’t take on leadership of that. And if you do, I would start over from scratch.” Legal doctrine sometimes prevents a simple reboot, so he urges consulting with a lawyer familiar with non-profit or business law before proceeding.

Community Dynamics: Membership, Leadership, and Healthy Boundaries

The messy reality of group life means you can’t plan for every scenario. As Sarah McCubbin describes, even a policy handbook can’t anticipate a teacher leaving her classroom or a wave of expulsions based on differences of opinion. She advises groups to provide umbrella policies granting board discretion where specifics are silent.

Membership policies deserve special attention. Disputes over admissions or expulsions are common. HSLDA, Darren Jones notes, typically does not intervene in member conflicts but he clarifies, “Every state has laws that govern nonprofits and they’ve got laws that govern businesses. The board is bound by certain ethical duties.” For nonprofits especially, the duty of obedience (following your own bylaws) and duty of loyalty (acting in the best interest of the organization) are legally binding. If leaders aren’t following group rules, there may be grounds for litigation, but often, “the remedy is let’s go start our own group.”

Avoiding Legal Trouble: Know the Common Traps

Homeschool groups do face legal peril when policies are ignored or the law is misunderstood. Darren Jones offers sobering examples:

• Connecticut groups sued over expelling a student without due process or failing to prevent child abuse.
• 25 to 35 groups he knows of forced to close for violating daycare or zoning laws.
• Divorces leading to legal scrutiny of co-ops previously perceived as peaceful.

He underscores, “In order to keep your group out of trouble, first keep your neighbors happy because 95% of the time complaints come into the county or the state through the neighbors.”

Thoughtful Growth: The Creative Edge and Its Risks

Homeschoolers are “endlessly creative,” says Sarah McCubbin, often starting groups when they can’t find what they want. Darren Jones sees a trend toward niche models or ambitious hybrid programs. But he gently asks would-be founders to ask themselves: “Are you going to be able to find enough 3rd through 6th graders who are really focused on art and history and don’t necessarily want to do as much math?” Sometimes passion projects flourish as small groups but may not scale.

He notes a shift in parent demographics since 2020, with many new to homeschooling and seeking more hybrid programs. This further raises the stakes for getting legal, organizational, and policy details right from the start.

Takeaway: Do the Boring Work Early, So Your Group Can Thrive

Starting or inheriting a homeschool group is exhilarating, and daunting. Darren Jones and Sarah McCubbin agree: the inspiring parts are building connections, innovating for your kids, and serving your community. The boring work, policies, legal structure, financial oversight, may feel like it “slows you down,” but it is essential for group health and effectiveness.

As Sarah McCubbin puts it, “Even if you have to pay, it is still worth it to avoid the massive headache of having big problems.” A bit of upfront diligence can prevent pain, division, and litigation down the road.

In Darren Jones’s words, “Homeschoolers tend to have a rather strong independent streak” and “a ton of creative people.” When that creative energy is grounded in clear purpose, practical policies, and organizational discipline, your group truly can do it well, for your children and for the future of homeschooling.

Considering launching or leading a homeschool group? Take the time upfront: clarify your vision, study your state’s laws, set strong policies, and seek advice. Protect your families, your community, and your mission, so you can focus on what really matters: helping children flourish.

Connect With Darren Jones

• HSLDA.org