As a homeschool parent, you are the principal and administrator for your school. That means you decide what credits are required for high school graduation.
However, If the student plans to go directly to a four-year college right after high school, the student needs to meet the minimum requirements of that college. I recommend you check with the colleges the student plans to attend. Some accept Pre-Algebra as a high school credit and some don't.
If, after high school, the student plans to go to a community college or no college, you can list Pre-Algebra as a high school credit.
Many 4 year colleges require precalculus or higher. So if Pre-Algebra is taken in 9th grade, followed by Shormann Algebra 1 in 10th, and Algebra 2 in 11th, 1 credit each of Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry are earned. Then, Shormann Precalculus can be taken in 12th grade.
So, even if it doesn't count as high school credit, if the student needs Pre-Algebra, I would have them take it. However, we recommend using Shormann Prealgebra Self-Paced eCourse instead of Saxon Algebra 1/2 or Saxon 87.
Based on John Saxon's original teaching methods and structure, Shormann Prealgebra has the added benefit of a self-paced online course with automated grading, instant feedback, video solutions, etc. that make learning faster and easier. To learn more, watch the video at the top of this page: Shormann Prealgebra Self-Paced eCourse