ANNUAL NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT

Homeschooling 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 instruction.  (An entire package must be submitted annually)

1. The parent or guardian holds a high school diploma or higher. GED would not meet this requirement.
2. The parent or guardian is a teacher of qualifications prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education. The parent or guardian must hold a teaching license or letter of eligibility for licensure in Virginia. 
3. The parent or guardian provides a program of study or curriculum that is delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program. (Notice of acceptance or other evidence of enrollment) 
4. The parent or guardian provides evidence that he/she can provide an adequate education for the child. 

Parents have the right to have their children taught by a tutor or a teacher who meets the teacher licensure qualifications proscribed by the Board of Education when that individual has been approved as a tutor by the school division superintendent.  To meet the qualifications prescribed by the Board of Education, the tutor must have a valid Virginia teaching license in any area and may be a parent who meets the tutor's qualifications. 

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 practical and comply with the statute's provisions 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 homeschooling, they will have 30 days to submit the required information. If not received within 30 days, the division will not acknowledge the Notice of Intent of the student. 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR NOTICE OF INTENT TO HOMESCHOOL

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO NOTIFY THE SCHOOL DIVISION OF YOUR DISCONTINUATION OF HOMESCHOOL

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS REQUIREMENT

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 stanine 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. 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE 2024-2025 SY

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION

Per §22.1-254.B.1 of the Code of Virginia, the School Board shall excuse from attendance at school any pupil who, together with his/her parent(s) or guardian(s) by bona fide religious training or belief, is conscientiously opposed to attendance at school.  For purposes of this subdivision, "bona fide religious training or belief" does not include essential political, sociological, or philosophical views or a merely personal moral code.  

Parent(s) and guardians must notify the division of a request for religious exemption stating their religious beliefs.  The notification must include the following: 

• A statement expressing your bona fide religious training or beliefs
  • Identify the specific religious teachings/commands/scriptures you base your request on.
  • A statement of your interpretation of those teachings/commands/scriptures as they relate to your child's education.
  • A statement that you believe it would be a violation of your religious teachings/commands/scriptures to send your child(ren) to public school and the reason(s) why you believe public school education of your child violates your religious teachings/commands/scriptures.  
• A statement from your priest, pastor, minister, rabbi, mullah, or other spiritual leader attesting to your bona fide religious training or beliefs.
• A statement from someone who can attest to your bona fide religious training or beliefs based on personal interaction with you.  

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION NOTIFICATION

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 decide to take on the full responsibility of educating their students, 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.

DRIVERS EDUCATION INFORMATION 

If you are an approved home schooler, driver education can be taught at home.  The student must currently be enrolled in a home schooled program.  The acknowledgment letter received for Norfolk Public Schools may be presented for verification of enrollment in a home school program.  

22.1-254.1. Declaration of policy; requirements for home instruction of children

Home Instruction Handbook - revised November 1, 2023