What Is a Homeschool Letter of Intent?

A homeschool letter of intent informs school districts or the state that your child will be taught at home. It includes details about where your child will be taught and what subjects they will learn. Sending this letter helps you meet state education requirements and avoid truancy. Plus, you can take responsibility for your child’s schooling.

How to Write a Letter of Intent to Homeschool

Writing a letter of intent to homeschool requires you to include complete and accurate information. Use the following steps to create a valid record of your intent to homeschool.

1. Identify the Parties Involved

Provide the name, phone number, and email address of the parents or legal guardians writing the letter. Also, record the full legal name of the child or children who will be homeschooled. For each child, note their date of birth, gender, and grade level.

2. Set the Duration

Include the start and end date of the child’s homeschool program or process. Also, include the beginning and ending school year to ensure the child receives the required years of learning.

3. Describe the Homeschooling Process

Detail the intended homeschooling process, including the instructor, location, and subjects. Name the primary education provider, such as the parent, guardian, or private instructor. Also note whether education will occur in the child’s home or at a separate location. Check your state laws for required subject matters and include a list of each area in which the child will learn.

4. Address and Send Your Letter

Once you’ve added all necessary details, address your letter to the required recipients. Submit your homeschool letter of intent to the school district in which the child lives. Provide the name of the school district and superintendent with the corresponding city, state, and ZIP code.

If your homeschooled child ever goes on field trips through a local co-op, you can prepare a couple of forms for their safety. A child travel consent form authorizes them to travel with another adult, while a child medical consent form lets an adult make medical decisions for them in your absence.

Sample Homeschool Letter of Intent

Legal Templates’s free homeschool letter of intent offers customizable terms to meet your needs and state requirements. Download our form, available in PDF and Word formats, to inform others that your child will be attending homeschool.

This is a document preview. Your customized version will be created after you answer a few quick questions.

Homeschool Requirements by State

Each state has its own legal requirements for homeschooling practices. Following the necessary procedures for notifying school districts, testing students, and meeting attendance requirements. Use the table below for an overview of homeschooling laws by state.

State	Is a Letter of Intent to Homeschool Required?	Deadline	Where to Send	Compulsory Attendance Ages	Testing Requirements
Alabama	Yes	Within 5 days of the opening of the public school AL Code § 16-28-7	County superintendent of education	7-16	None
Alaska	No	N/A	N/A	7-16	None
Arizona	Yes	Within 30 days of starting to homeschool A.R.S. §15-802 (B)(2)	Superintendent of public instruction	6-16	None
Arkansas	Yes	At the beginning of each school year but no later than August 15 AR Code § 6-15-503	Superintendent of their local school district	5-17	None
California	Yes	October 15 EDC § 33190	Superintendent of Public Instruction	6-18	None
Colorado	Yes	Within 14 days of starting homeschool C.R.S. 22-33-104.5(3)(e).	Local school district office	6-17	None
Connecticut	No	N/A	N/A	5-18	None
Delaware	Yes	No later than September 30 14 DE Code § 2704	Department of Education	5-16	None
District of Columbia	Yes	15 business days prior to the first date of home instruction D.C. Official Code § 5202.1	Office of the State Superintendent of Education	5-18	None
Florida	No	N/A	N/A	6-16	Annual educational evaluation or a Florida-certified teacher review or state tests FL Stat § 1002.41
Georgia	Yes	Within 30 days of starting and by September 1 annually thereafter GA Code § 20-2-690	School superintendent	6-16	At least every 3 years beginning in 3rd grade GA Code § 20-2-690
Hawaii	Yes	Prior to 1st day of home instruction Haw. Code R. § 8-12-13	Principal and the district superintendent	5-18	Must test in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 Haw. Code R. § 8-12-18
Idaho	No	N/A	N/A	7-16	Permitted to take statewide annual exams, but not mandatory
Illinois	No	N/A	N/A	6-17	None
Indiana	No	N/A	N/A	7-18	None
Iowa	Yes	September 1st for CPI Option #1 and Dual Enrollment or September 15th for HSAP Participation Iowa Administrative Code 281-36.8(5)b	School district in which the child resides	6-16	Option to participate in state standardized testing IA Code § 299A.4
Kansas	Yes	Before beginning homeschool programs for the first year only KS Stat § 72-4346	State board of education	7-18	None
Kentucky	Yes	Within 14 days of the start of the public school year KY Rev Stat § 159.010	Kentucky Board of Education	6-18	None
Louisiana	Yes	Within 15 days of starting and renewing annually LA Rev Stat § 17:236.1	Local school district	5-18	None
Maine	Yes	Within 10 calendar days of the beginning of home instruction 20-A ME Rev Stat § 5001-A	School officials and commissioner for district in which the student resides	6-17	Must complete either a standardized test, at-home test provided by school officials, review of portfolio or progress by a certified Maine teacher M.R.S. 20-A §5001-A(3)(A)(4)
Maryland	Yes	15 days before the beginning of a home instruction program MD Education Code § 7-301	Local school system	5-18	Portfolio review from a school system representative Code of Md. Regulations, Title 13A, Subtitle 10
Massachusetts	Yes	Prior to beginning at-home instruction MA Gen L ch 76 § 1	School district in which the child resides	6-16	Varies by school district
Michigan	No	N/A	N/A	6-18	Permitted to take statewide annual exams, but not mandatory MCL 380.1561
Minnesota	Yes	October 1st for the child's first year of education or within 15 days of withdrawal from a public school MN Stat § 120A.24	Superintendent of the district	7-17	Annual testing with a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement examination MN Stat § 120A.22, subdivision 11
Mississippi	Yes	On or before September 15 of each year MS Code § 37-13-91	Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement of the State Department of Education	6-17	None
Missouri	No	N/A	NA	7-17	None
Montana	Yes	Each fiscal school year MT Code § 20-5-109	County superintendent of schools	7-16	None
Nebraska	Yes	July 15th annually 92 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 13 § 003	Nebraska Department of Education	6-18	None
Nevada	Yes	Before beginning homeschool or within 10 days of withdrawing from school or within 30 days of becoming a resident NV Rev Stat § 392.070	Local school district super intendent	7-18	None
New Hampshire	Yes	Within 5 days of starting NH Rev Stat § 193-A:5	Commissioner of the department of education, resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school	6-18	Annual testing or evaluation by a certified official RSA 193-A
New Jersey	No	N/A	N/A	6-16	None
New Mexico	Yes	Within 30 days of starting and by August 1st every following year NM Stat § 22-1-2.1	New Mexico Public Education Department	5-18	None
New York	Yes	Within 14 days of starting or by July 1st every year 8 CRR-NY 100.10	District superintendent	6-16	Annual commercially published norm referenced achievement test 8 CRR-NY 100.10
North Carolina	Yes	Before beginning homeschool programs NC Statute 115C-563(a)	NC Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE)	7-16	Tested once each year through a nationally standardized test or other nationally standardized equivalent measurement NC Gen Stat § 115C-564
North Dakota	Yes	At least five days before beginning home education or within fourteen days of establishing a child's residence in a school district, and once each year after ND Statute 15.1-23-02	Superintendent of the child's school district	7-16	Standardized test used by the school district in which the student resides in grades 4,6,8, and 10 ND Century Code 15.1-23-09
Ohio	Yes	Within five calendar days after commencing home education, moving into a new school district, or withdrawing from a public or nonpublic school, and by August 30th each year after OH Rev Code § 3321.042	Superintendent of the school district	6-18	None
Oklahoma	No	N/A	N/A	5-18	None
Oregon	Yes	Within 10 days of starting or withdrawing from public school OR Admin Rules 581-021-0026	Local Education Service District (ESD)	6-18	Test at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10 and send results to the ESD as requested ORS 330.035
Pennsylvania	Yes	Before starting homeschool & before August 1st every following year Section 1327.1 of the Pennsylvania School Code	Superintendent of the school district of residence	6-18	Annual written evaluation, portfolio assessment in grades 3, 5, and 8 or the results of a standardized test (PSSA) 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(e)(1)
Rhode Island	Yes	Before beginning home instruction RI Gen L § 16-19-1	Local school committee	6-18	Parent and local school committee must agree on a method of evaluating the student’s progress in all required subjects
South Carolina	No	N/A	N/A	5-17	Annual standardized testing starting in grade 3 SC Code § 59-65-40
South Dakota	Yes	within 30 days of beginning to homeschool SDCL 13-27-3	Department of Education or the local district	Up to 18	None
Tennessee	Yes	Before beginning home instruction Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-3050	Local school district director	6-17	Standardized test in grades 5, 7, and 9 TN Code § 49-6-3050
Texas	No	N/A	N/A	6-19	None
Utah	Yes	Before starting homeschooling H.B. 209 Homeschool Amendments	Local school board	6-18	Permitted to take annual exams, but not mandatory H.B. 209 Homeschool Amendments
Vermont	Yes	At least 10 business days prior to commencing home study 16 V.S.A. § 166b	State secretary of education	6-16	Annual assessment by a licensed teacher, standardized tests, or report by the instructor 16 V.S.A. § 166b)
Virginia	Virginia	Every year by August 15th VA § 22.1-254.1	Local school division	5-18	Academic testing or an official evaluation annually Ages 16+ may take the GED test to earn a state-approved high school diploma VA § 22.1-254.1
Washington	Yes	Each year, by September 15th or within two weeks of the start of a school quarter, trimester, or semester. RCW 28A.200.010	Superintendent of public instruction	8-18	Annual standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education RCW 28A.200.010
West Virginia	Yes	On or before the date home instruction is to begin WV State Code §18-8-1(A)	Local school district	6-17	National standardized test, or portfolio assessment, or current state testing WV homeschooling law, 18-8-1 (c)(2)
Wisconsin	Yes	Submitted annually on or before October 15th Wis Stats 115.30(3)	Department of Public Instruction	6-18	None
Wyoming	No	N/A	N/A	7-16	Permitted to participate in standardized testing but not mandatory Bill No. HB0046

Free Homeschool Letter of Intent Template