How to Homeschool in Delaware

Delaware homeschool law in detail

We link the governing law so you can read it yourself instead of taking our word for it. The governing law is 14 Del. C. 2703A, 14 Del. C. 2704.

Notice / letter of intent

Delaware does not use a notice-of-intent letter. Instead, under 14 Del. C. 2703A, a homeschool operates as a nonpublic school, and you register it with the Delaware Department of Education through the department's online nonpublic school application system (accessed with an EdAccess account). Most families register a single-family homeschool, where the parent or guardian educates their own child mainly at home; a multi-family homeschool covers unrelated children taught by their parents and must appoint a liaison to handle DDOE submissions. Register before or when home instruction begins so your child is counted as enrolled in a school for compulsory attendance purposes

Required subjects

Delaware law sets no required subjects for single-family or multi-family homeschools, so curriculum choices are entirely yours. The only exception is the rarely used third option, a single-family homeschool coordinated with the local school district, which must use a curriculum approved by the local superintendent. HSLDA does not recommend that option, and DDOE guidance gives it little support.

Required days or hours

Delaware does not prescribe a number of instructional days or hours for homeschools. Your annual attendance report asks you to report the days your school was in session and your child's attendance, but the statute does not set a minimum

Recordkeeping

Keep a simple attendance record through the year, because the end-of-year report asks for average daily membership and average daily attendance figures. Beyond attendance, Delaware requires no portfolios, grades, or work samples, though keeping samples is wise for transcripts and any future school enrollment. Records stay with you; nothing beyond the two reports is filed.

Testing and assessment

Delaware has no assessment requirement for homeschooled students: no standardized testing, no portfolio reviews, and no evaluations. The state's oversight consists entirely of the registration and the two annual reports described above.

Withdrawing from public school

Register your homeschool with DDOE first, then formally withdraw your child from their current public school so the district knows where the child is enrolled. A short written withdrawal letter to the school, naming your registered homeschool, keeps the paper trail clean and prevents truancy confusion. Compulsory attendance in Delaware runs from age 5 to 16.

Good to know

Delaware's whole system runs through the DDOE online portal, so keep your login handy and your contact email current, because the reporting windows are enforced: a homeschool that misses the attendance report is administratively closed and its students are marked withdrawn, which can trigger truancy questions. Re-registering is possible, but it is far easier to just file on time.