Legal/Homeschool Laws
Laws that regulate home education vary from state to state. It is important to understand the legal requirements in your state and to be aware of legislative and other legal issues that affect homeschoolers in your community. We've compiled resources that will help you become informed. Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and the vast majority of homeschoolers face no problems, you may find that you need legal assistance at some point in your homeschooling career. We've compiled a list of resources to help you find the support you need. And if you'd like to become more involved in working towards homeschooling freedoms, we discuss some of the issues facing homeschoolers that we hope you find compelling.
State Laws
Read the laws regulating home education in Washington and browse through the case law and legal opinions relating to those laws, along with government publications relating to homeschooling and summaries of the laws.
Forms
Which forms do you need to fill out? Where can you get them? Here is a list of useful forms for homeschooling in Washington.
Legal Support
If you need legal information or have run into a legal situation regarding your decision to homeschool, these resources will be helpful.
Lobbying Groups
A listing of local and national lobbying groups and information on how you can become involved in the political process to ensure the freedom to homeschool is protected.
Attorneys
When searching for an attorney, it is helpful to know whether he or she has experience working with homeschoolers and is interested in protecting the right to homeschool.
Legal Issues
Is homeschooling legal? Which laws pertain to homeschoolers and which don't? How do homeschoolers protect their rights to freely educate their children and to preserve their privacy?
Government Resources
A listing of local and state government resources, including your state's Department of Education, school districts, and Senate and House of Representative information.
What's Popular
Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education Senate Committee
Contact information for the Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education Senate Committee.
Public Alternative Education Programs
A look at the laws and issues governing public alternative education programs in the state of Washington.
RCW 28A.200.020 Home-based instruction -- Certain decisions responsibility of parent
The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall be subject only to those minimum state laws and regulations which are necessary to insure that a sufficient basic educational opportunity is provided to the children receiving such instruction. Therefore, all decisions relating to philosophy or doctrine, selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum, and methods, timing, and place in the provision or ev...
RCW 28A.225.010 Attendance mandatory -- Age -- Exceptions.
(1) All parents in this state of any child eight years of age and under eighteen years of age shall cause such child to attend the public school of the district in which the child resides and such child shall have the responsibility to and therefore shall attend for the full time when such school may be in session unless: (a) The child is attending an approved private school for the same time or is enrolled in an extension program as provided in RCW 28A.195.010(4); (b) The child is receiving hom...
Alternative Learning Programs and Home Schooling
This article was prepared for North Central Educational Service District's newsletter, Educational Connections in April 2001. It was written in response to coverage of a "Homeschooling Program Workshop" in the January Connections newsletter. It discusses the difference between Alternative Learning Programs and home schooling in the state of Washington.
Family Learning Organization
Family Learning Organization is intended to advocate for home-based education, to facilitate the encouragement of homeschooling families, to help preserve the freedom of parents to educate their children, and to serve as a means of communication and networking. Through the organization, homeschooling families can network with other more experienced parents. They also offer educational assessment and testing services.
Washington Natural Learning Association (WNLA)
Washington Natural Learning Association works to ensure the right to home-educate our children without cumbersome regulation. They also help families with questions and problems that may occur when home-educating.
Declaration of Intent to Provide Home-Based Instruction
Sample Declaration of Intent form.
Part-Time Enrollment
A look at the section of the statutes that regulate home education dealing with part-time enrollment of homeschooled children.
RCW 28A.305.190 Eligibility to take general educational development test.
The state board of education shall adopt rules governing the eligibility of a child sixteen years of age and under nineteen years of age to take the general educational development test if the child provides a substantial and warranted reason for leaving the regular high school education program, or if the child was home-schooled.
Sample Cover Letter
Sample cover letter to school districts.
Some Thoughts On How We Got The Homeschool Law We Have
Each state has its own rules and regulations because each state is different. Washington has the kind of law it has because that was the best we could do at the time.
Homeschool Laws
A complete summary of the home-based instruction law in Washington.
RCW 28A.150.350 Part time students
... (d) "Part time student" shall mean and include: Any student enrolled in a course of instruction in a private school and taking courses at and/or receiving ancillary services offered by any public school not available in such private school; or any student who is not enrolled in a private school and is receiving home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010 which instruction includes taking courses at or receiving ancillary services from the local school district or both; or any student involv...
RCW 28A.200.010 Home-based instruction - Duties of parents - Exemption from high school assessment requirements
(1) Each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall have the duty to:
(a) File annually a signed declaration of intent that he or she is planning to cause his or her child to receive home-based instruction. The statement shall include the name and age of the child, shall specify whether a certificated person will be supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. Each parent s...
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Featured Resources
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