Vermont law specifically refers to homeschooling in 16 V.S.A. § 11(a)(21) and 16 V.S.A. § 166b. To homeschool under this statute, you’ll need to follow these guidelines.

NOTE: Section 166b was amended on July 1, 2023, resulting in several important changes, which are bolded below.

1. Send a written enrollment notice.

You must annually send a written enrollment notice to the secretary of education for each child. The notice must include:

  • the name, age, and birthdate (date, month, and year) of each child;
  • the names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, towns of legal residence, and phone numbers of the parents or guardians who are legally authorized to make educational decisions for the student;
  • an attestation that the academic progress of each child will be assessed at the end of the year, and that the parent will maintain the record of the assessment;
  • “independent professional evidence on whether the child has a disability” for each child not previously enrolled in a Vermont public school or Vermont home study program;
  • an attestation that each child will be provided either the equivalent of 175 day of instruction in the required subjects for his/her age, or adaptations to support a student with documented disabilities; and
  • the signatures of all custodial parents or guardians who are legally authorized to make educational decisions for the students, or an attestation that the parent seeking enrollment has sole primary decision-making authority.

NOTE: As of July 1, 2023, parents are no longer required to include the following in their notice of intent:

  • A minimum course of study;
  • Evidence of academic progress for the previous school year (if the family homeschooled the year prior); or
  • The names, addresses, phone numbers, and signatures of persons providing instruction to students.

2. Obtain acknowledgement of compliance.

Within 10 business days of receiving a complete enrollment notice, the Agency of Education "shall" provide you with a written acknowledgement of receipt, which verifies that your child is enrolled in a lawful home study program. Keep this acknowledgement for your records.

NOTE: As of July 1, 2023, the statutory language allowing the Agency to review enrollment notices for "completeness," and to call pre-enrollment and post-enrollment hearings has been repealed. HSLDA member families who are sent a "completeness" letter or a "hearings" letter should contact us immediately for assistance.

3. Teach the required subjects.

You must teach the following subjects in your homeschool:

  • basic communication skills, including reading, writing, and the use of numbers,
  • citizenship, history, and government in Vermont and the United States,
  • physical education and comprehensive health education, including the effects of tobacco, alcoholic drinks, and drugs on the human system and on society,
  • English, American, and other literature,
  • the natural sciences, and
  • the fine arts.

4. Assess your child annually.

Parents are responsible for assessing their child's progress at the conclusion of each school year. This assessment does not need to be submitted to the Agency of Education, but a record of the assessment must be kept by the parents. The assessment may be by any one of the following methods:

  • A standardized assessment given by the local school district or a testing service, or administered in a manner approved by the testing company;
  • A report prepared by a Vermont certified teacher;
  • A report and portfolio with a summary of learned material and at least four samples of work;
  • Grades from an online academy or school; or
  • Evidence of passing the GED.

Please note: The information on this page has been reviewed by an attorney, but it should not be taken as legal advice specific to your individual situation.