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
Alternative Education Programs
There is a relatively new movement taking shape in several states across the country. Public school districts are laying down their battle weapons so to speak, and taking up diplomacy in their dealings with the homeschooling community.
A prime example of this new stance is in Washington State where for several years now and often with little or no regulatory authority, local school districts have launched programs specifically targeting the homeschool student. Sometimes called Cyberschool or...
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...
Homeschool Laws
A complete summary of the home-based instruction law in Washington.
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.
Washington Home School Laws from HSLDA
The Home School Legal Defense Association provides a brief summary of the homeschooling laws in Washington. Includes a link to a legal analysis of laws relating to homeschooling in Washington.
Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO)
The Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO) is the state organization for homeschoolers, families operating under the Home-Based Instruction Law. Their mission is to serve the diverse interests of homeschoolers in Washington State. WHO is nonpartisan, nonsectarian and non discriminating in its views of homeschooling and participation in its activities. Its purpose is to disseminate information about homeschooling to those interested, and network homeschooling families with people and resources....
School District Home-Based Instruction Contact Information
A listing by district of the home-based instruction contact, including email and phone numbers.
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.
Record Keeping
Record keeping is often overlooked in conversations about the homeschool law because it is an easily met requirement, and seems to have no great impact. And yet, the very fact that we compile and maintain our children's records, and store them in our homes, is one of the strongest indicators of how truly independent homeschooling is from public or private education in Washington State.
House Education Committee
Contact information for the House Education Committee.
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...
Mandatory Attendance
The mandatory attendance laws are where homeschooling, or home-based instruction, is designated as an educational choice and criteria are set.
WAC 180-52-070 Approved standardized tests for use by students receiving home-based instruction.
(1)(a) Pursuant to RCW 28A.200.010(3), the state board of education will provide a list of examples of standardized achievement tests that a parent may use to assess and determine whether their child is making reasonable academic progress. (b) Tests on the list are approved by the state board of education on the basis that they are standardized achievement tests. (c) Parents may use a standardized test that does not appear on the list of examples if it has been evaluated by a test evaluation org...
Sample Cover Letter
Sample cover letter to school districts.
District Information
Enter your street address below to determine in which congressional and legislative districts you live.
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