Notice of Intent to Homeschool Form

I know that a lot of you out there are already planning ahead for next year.

If you aren’t registered with an umbrella/independent school for homeschooling, you are required to submit a letter of intent to homeschool to your local school district if you plan to homeschool your children. As I’ve received several questions on this matter, I created a sample Notice of Intent to Homeschool form that you can download and use for your own family.

(This form is in MS Word format and is editable so you can insert your family’s information)

What are the notification requirements?

Requirements will vary by state, however most states require that you submit a notice of intent to homeschool to any school district in your state. The notice must be sent for any student between the ages of 6 and 16, including children who will be 6 by August 1st.

There is typically not a deadline for the notice of intent to be sent in, however it is required that the letter be filed with your school district at least 14 days prior to the start of your homeschool year. This means you do not have to file before the start of the local public school year, but 14 days prior to the start of your own homeschool year.

A notice of intent is also typically required to be re-submitted annually for each year that you plan to homeschool.

What should be included in the notice?

• Child’s Name
• Child’s Age
• Child’s Residence
• Hours of Attendance (For most states this should be 4 hours per day & 172 days per year)

What are the testing requirements?

Testing requirements vary by state as well, but most states require that you test or evaluate your students’ academic progress at grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Testing should be administered by a certified evaluator using a nationally standardized achievement test. Test scores are then sent to your local public school district OR to an independent school. You can visit my “Homeschool Testing” post for more details on how testing works. As always please refer to the testing requirements outlined by your specific state for complete information.

Where can I get more information?

• The internet! A simple Google search for “your state + homeschool law” will give you most of the answers you need for your state. If you have more questions, you can also call your local public school district offices.
• www.hslda.org (Home School Legal Defense Association) is a nonprofit agency established to help the constitutional rights of parents to direct the education of their children and protect family freedoms. They have a lot of information regarding homeschooling help.

As always, you will need to contact your state for current homeschool laws and requirements, but I hope this post helps you get started!

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney, nor is this post to be construed as legal advice. For homeschooling laws and requirements for your state, please contact your state’s department of education.