How to Homeschool in Washington

Washington homeschool law in detail

Each requirement below links to the statute that governs it, so you can read the law yourself instead of taking our word for it. The governing law is Wash. Rev. Code 28A.200.010.

Notice / letter of intent

Each year you file a signed Declaration of Intent to provide home-based instruction with the superintendent of the school district where you live, or with a nonresident district that accepts the transfer (RCW 28A.200.010). The deadline is September 15, or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester if you start mid-year. The declaration states the child's name and age and whether a certificated person will supervise the instruction, in a format prescribed by the state superintendent. Most districts post their own version of the form online, and many accept it by mail or email.

Read the law: RCW 28A.200.010 (Declaration of Intent by Sept 15)

Required subjects

Washington lists eleven subject areas for home-based instruction: occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the appreciation of art and music (RCW 28A.225.010(4)). The law does not dictate curriculum, schedule, or how deeply each subject is covered in a given year. Parents choose materials and methods, and instruction is planned and supervised by the parent.

Read the law: RCW 28A.225.010(4) (eleven subject areas)

Required days or hours

Home-based instruction is generally planned around 180 school days per year, or an annual average of 1,000 instructional hours. In practice families count broadly, since the law leaves the planning and supervision of instruction to the parent.

Read the law: RCW 28A.200.010 (planned around 180 days or 1,000 hours) Planning and supervision are left to the parent.

Recordkeeping

Parents keep records at home rather than submitting them to the district. State law directs you to retain standardized test scores or annual assessment results, plus immunization records, in your child's permanent file. Many families also keep a simple log of curriculum and work samples, which helps with later school enrollment or college applications, though the law does not require submitting any of it.

Read the law: RCW 28A.200.010 (retain assessment results and immunization records at home)

Testing and assessment

Every year your child must either take an approved standardized achievement test administered by a qualified person, or receive a written assessment of academic progress from a Washington certificated teacher who is currently working in education (RCW 28A.200.010). You do not send the results to the district or the state. You simply keep them in your child's permanent record at home. If results show progress is lacking, the parent is expected to address the problem, but there is no automatic state intervention.

Read the law: RCW 28A.200.010 (annual test or certificated-teacher assessment)

Withdrawing from public school

If your child is currently enrolled in public school, file your Declaration of Intent with the district and then formally withdraw your child from the school, in writing, so the school does not mark unexcused absences. There is no state-mandated withdrawal form, though many districts have one. Keep a dated copy of both the declaration and the withdrawal letter. After that, your child is legally a home-based instruction student.

Read the law: RCW 28A.200.010 (file declaration, then withdraw)

Good to know

Washington is one of the friendliest states for blending homeschool with public resources. RCW 28A.150.350 gives home-based instruction students the right to enroll part-time and receive ancillary services, including sports, counseling, testing, and remedial help, from the local district. Many districts also run popular parent-partnership and ALE (alternative learning experience) programs, though enrolling in those makes your child a public school student for those courses. OSPI publishes the Pink Book, a plain-language guide to the home-based instruction laws.