VIRGINIA HOMESCHOOL LAW

Compulsory School Age: 5 - 18 (by September 30)

Virginia state law offers three legal homeschooling options: 1) operate a homeschool, 2) operate a homeschool under the religious exemption law, or 3) use of a private tutor.

1. The first option is to operate a homeschool. Parents wishing to school their children at home are required to file an annual notice of intent with the local school superintendent by August 15. Parents are also required to submit a description of the curriculum for the school year. Families beginning homeschool after the school year has started have 30 days to file a notice and other required information in order to be in compliance with Virginia statute. Parents/teachers are considered to be qualified and are permitted to instruct their child at home if they meet or submit to one of the following:

   1. Hold a high school diploma or higher (high school equivalencies are not accepted for this option).

   2. Meet teacher qualifications set by the State Board of Education. The parent or instructor must have a teaching license or a letter of eligibility for licensure in Virginia and submit a copy to the Board of Education.

   3. Enroll the child in a correspondence program approved by the State Superintendent of Schools. Parents must submit evidence of enrollment.

   4. “Provide a program of study or curriculum, which, in the judgment of the division superintendent, includes the Standards of Learning objectives adopted by the Board of Education for language arts [English] and mathematics, or provides evidence that the parent is able to provide an adequate education for the child."

   Homeschool students must be assessed every year through either standardized testing or another school board accepted means of evaluation. The results of the assessment must be submitted to the local school superintendent by August 1. There are no regulations requiring attendance, subjects, or recordkeeping for this option.

2. The second option is to operate a homeschool under the religious exemption statute. Parents must file a request with the Chair of the School Board to honor/acknowledge an exemption of compulsory school attendance based on the individual's religious beliefs. This exempts parents and students from all requirements; thus there are no regulations requiring attendance, subjects, teacher qualifications, recordkeeping, or testing for this option.

3. The third and final option for homeschooling in Virginia is to use a private tutor. The private tutor must be a licensed teacher. Parents must file a written notice of intent with the Board of Education. There are no regulations requiring attendance, subjects, recordkeeping, or testing for the private tutor option.

Find a homeschool group in Virginia.

View these websites for more information about Virginia homeschool laws:

• Home School Legal Defense Association

• National Home Education Network

• Virginia Education Code for Homeschooling

• Virginia Department of Education

Please note: This is a brief summary of Virginia homeschool law and is presented for informative purposes only and not as legal advice.