Home schooling is one alternative to school attendance. In Virginia, “any parent, guardian, legal custodian, or other person having control or charge of a child” may provide home instruction as prescribed by §22.1-254.1 of the Code of Virginia. 

A parent who elects home instruction must notify the school division superintendent no later than August 15 of the intent to do so for the coming school year, provide a list of the subjects to be studied for the coming year, and provide evidence of having met one of the criteria described in §22.1-254.1A. of the Code of Virginia for providing home instrucion.  (See Home Instruction Qualifications in the Guidelines for Home Instruction in Virgina handbook below on page 5.) Please note that complete package must be submitted annually. 

Parents who move into the school division or begin home instruction after the school year has begun must notify the superintendent of their intent to provide home instruction as soon as practicable and comply with the provisions of the statute within 30 days of such notice.  (§22.1-254.1.B.  Code of Virginia) This means that after providing the school division with a notice of intent, the parents can begin home schooling and they will have 30 days to submit the other required informatoin to the school division. 

Evidence of Progress (Please click here to report annual evidence of achievement for the 2022-2023 SY)

The parent who elects to provide home instruction shall submit to their local school division, by August 1, following the school year in which the child has received home instruction, evidence of the child's academic progress with either:

• Evidence that the child has attained a composite score in or above the fourth stain on any nationally normed standardized achievement test; or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT test; or
• An evaluation or assessment which the division superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress, including but not limited to:
  • An evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with academic progress, stating the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress; or
  • A report card or transcript from a community college or college, college distance learning program, or home-education correspondence school. 

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AND HOME INSTRUCTION RELATED STATUTES – Effective July 1, 2017

GUIDELINES FOR HOME INSTRUCTION IN VIRGINIA HANDBOOK - Revised July 1, 2018

 Please click here for the Homeschool & SY Religious Exemption Portal Scribbles

§22.1-254.1A. - Code of Virginia

If interested in Home Instruction, please click on, “ Guidelines for Home Instruction in Virginia Handbook” and complete the, “Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction Form” above. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact the Department of Student Support Services at (757) 628-3931.

JECB. Admission of nonpublic students for part-time enrollment

Private and home school students shall not be permitted to enroll part-time or to participate in academic or extracurricular activities in the Norfolk Public Schools.

Protection of Student Information

Section 22.1-254.1.G prohibits school divisions from disclosing to VDOE or any other person or entity outside of the local school division information from a parent or student regarding election to provide home instruction or regarding a claim of a religious exemption without the parent's written consent.  Note: the school division is required to provide to the Department the aggregate number of students receiving home instruction as provided in section 22.1-254.1.B.

When a parent opts to home school their student, they are deciding to take on the full responsibility of educating their student, including maintaining their academic records. Neither the Department of Education nor public school divisions maintain any academic records such as transcripts or diploma status for students who have military recruiters, colleges, universities, technical schools, employers, or any other entity. VAC20-150-20 provides that local school divisions are to manage scholastic records for students who have met the applicable laws.