Yay, okay. You now know your “why” and have a better feel for your own personal homeschool vibe. Now, its time to open your school and send in your letter of intent.

You’re going to want to check out this website when you’re done reading this- even though it kinda drives me insane. I personally believe they make homeschooling (they being the government) seem intimidating. They use a ton of unnecessary words. They quote the law in every damn post making you feel like its this whole-ass judicial process just to educate your own damn kid. They make it seem like they are breathing down your neck watching you at every moment. (I mean, they are… but, not how you think, haha).

Key Points

• you know your why, you have an idea as to which method would fit your lifestyle best, now all you need to do is send a letter/email, open your school, and do the damn thing

• it is legal to homeschool in all fifty states

• every state has their own “structure” so be sure you read through your state’s and familiarize yourself comfortably

• if you need help figuring out which option you should choose or want me to guide you along, message me here

• your state may or may not require a letter- you can check the list below

• if you need a sample letter, I provided you with one in the next post

I assure you, in my two years of homeschooling, I have yet to turn a damn thing in to anyone. I don’t get letters. I don’t get calls. I simply sent an email to her school when I started getting emails saying she was absent. (Remember, this was during the whole mask thing.)

I basically just said “yeah, I don’t know who needs my letter or what all you guys need from me but consider this my official notice to homeschool <MY CHILD> until further notice.”

They then replied “thank you, we forwarded this on. All you need to do now is “open your homeschool” and send us the name and school ID.” So, I did. Haven’t heard from anyone since. Which, all I have to say is: damn straight.

Anyway, I went to the HSLDA website and made a quick-reference list for you down below. I have every state listed and whether or not you need to file a letter of intent/withdraw letter.

All this means is you have to otify the public school district that you are leaving. Not really that intimidating, I promise. If it says “maybe”, that means you need to click the link and check out why.

If you want to see how I would phrase my letter, today, if I had to send another one…click here. You have my permission to copy and paste the letter, replace the information in bold as needed, and submit it as your own. No need to reach out and let me know you’re doing it. Although, I would love to know that you are officially homeschooling! THAT I give a shit about.

Love you!

Does My State Require A Letter of Intent (aka Withdraw Letter)?

Alabama: yes

Alaska: maybe (yes; if you choose option 4)

Arizona: yes

Arkansas: yes

California: yes

Colorado: yes

Connecticut: no

Delaware: yes

District of Columbia: yes

Florida: maybe (yes; if you choose option 1, but only the first year)

Georgia: yes

Hawaii: yes

Idaho: no

Illinois: no

Indiana: no

Iowa: maybe (yes; if you choose option 3, 4 or 5)

Kansas: yes, first year only

Kentucky: yes

Louisiana: yes

Maine: yes

Maryland: yes

Massachusetts: yes

Michigan: maybe (yes, if you choose option 2)

Minnesota: yes

Mississippi: yes

Missouri: no

Montana: yes

Nebraska: yes

Nevada: yes

New Hampshire: yes

New Jersey: no

New Mexico: yes

New York: yes

North Carolina: yes

North Dakota: yes

Ohio: yes

Oklahoma: no

Oregon: yes

Pennsylvania: yes

Rhode Island: yes

South Carolina: maybe (you have to send an application that needs to be approved if you choose option 1; from what I understand, option 3 is the most popular; that is what I would choose if I lived in South Carolina)

South Dakota: yes

Tennessee: yes

Texas: no

Utah: yes

Vermont: yes

Virginia: yes

Washington: yes

West Virginia: yes

Wisconsin: yes

Wyoming: yes

You’ve got this. Millions of people have homeschooled their kids. Think about it. Where did public schools come from? Why did they originate? Who is Mr. Rockefellar? Where did textbooks come from? I promise, its not that weird that you want to be the sole educator of your child. Love you!