Acadiana Families Share Why They Homeschool

Local Homeschool News: Louisiana

Homeschooling keeps growing in Louisiana. About 50,000 students were homeschooled in 2024-25, including about 8,000 in Acadiana and more than 2,000 in Lafayette Parish (The Advocate).

Lafayette parent Michelle Matt has two children who have been homeschooled from the start. Their days mix schoolwork at home, lessons at a local microschool, and activities like martial arts and ballet. “The beauty of homeschooling is you can tailor it the way you want to,” she said. Her advice to new parents: you don’t have to do it perfectly.

Christopher Chin, president of Homeschool Louisiana, said that if homeschoolers were their own school district, it would be one of the largest in the state. He also pointed to the growth of microschools, learning pods, and other parent-led programs.

One of those is Little Learning Village, an Acadiana microschool run by educator Natalie Chustz with former and retired public school teachers. It works with students who have dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning differences. Retired teacher Karen Langland said the work has rekindled her love of teaching.

For more on homeschooling in the state, see our Louisiana Homeschool Laws page and our Louisiana Pending Homeschool Legislation post.

Sources:

• Joanna Brown, “Acadiana families, educators share why they homeschool,” The Advocate, October 12, 2026