Homeschooling in Vermont: the law and how to start

Yes. Vermont calls homeschooling a home study program, governed by 16 V.S.A. § 166b and administered by the Agency of Education's Home Study office. A child enrolled in a home study program meets the compulsory attendance law.

2023 change: Vermont moved from a system where Agency staff reviewed each family's home study plan to a notice of enrollment system. You now attest that you will teach the minimum course of study and assess progress each year, and you keep the assessment records yourself.

2026 update: H.930 (Act 122 of 2026), a law on chronic absenteeism, did not change home study rules; a Senate amendment that would have added an extra enrollment step was defeated. The bill asks the Agency of Education to report to the legislature with recommendations on home study, so further changes may be proposed.

• Use the Agency of Education's forms. The Home Study page has a notice of intent, a first-year online enrollment form and the annual notice for continuing families. The first-year form asks for supporting documents; check the form for which ones it accepts.
• File at least 10 business days before your start date. Your notice includes attestations that you will provide the minimum course of study and assess your child each year.
• Withdrawing from public school: keep your child attending until your home study start date, then tell the school in writing that they are withdrawing to a home study program. Keep copies of everything you file.
• Timing for 2026–27: the Agency opened 2026–27 enrollments and re-enrollments in June 2026, and partial-year enrollments are open through March 31, 2027. Enrollment for 2027–28 opens on March 1, 2027.
• Re-file every year with the annual notice, at least 10 business days before the new year begins.

A home study program must provide Vermont's minimum course of study, adapted to your child's age and ability:

• 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;
• English, American and other literature;
• the natural sciences;
• the fine arts.

You choose your curriculum, materials and teaching methods.

At the end of every school year you must assess each child's academic progress and keep the record. The statute lists the methods you can use, including:

• a standardized assessment;
• a review by a person with a current Vermont teaching license;
• a parent report with a portfolio, including a summary of what your child learned and at least four samples of their work;
• grades from an online academy or school;
• evidence of passing the GED.

Since the 2023 change, families keep the assessment record rather than routinely sending it to the Agency. Store each year's assessment with your enrollment paperwork.

Home study students don't receive a public school diploma. You decide when your teen has completed high school and can issue your own diploma and transcript; keep course lists, grades and annual assessments.

Vermont high school-age students, including home study students, can take college courses for credit at Vermont colleges; ask the college about its rules for homeschooled applicants.

Vermont is one of the more open states for public school access. Under state rules, school districts must make room for home study students in courses, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and use of facilities.

• Activities and sports: home study students can try out for school activities and teams, meeting the same physical exam, insurance, age and transfer requirements as enrolled students under Vermont Principals' Association rules. Where space is limited, full-time students may get preference.
• Courses: how many courses a home study student can take varies by district policy (some limit it to two core courses), so ask your local school.

If you think your child may have a disability, contact your local school district: under the federal IDEA, districts must locate and evaluate children who may need special education, including home study students.

Vermont has statewide home study networks, regional co-ops and online groups, and public libraries run programs that suit home study families.

Vermont does not fund home study programs through an education savings account, voucher or tax credit. Its long-standing town tuition system pays for approved schools, not home study.

For enrollment questions, contact the Agency of Education's Home Study office.