Rhode Island Homeschool Documents & Templates

What to file

approval required

Send to

local school committee or superintendent of the town where the child resides

Deadline

varies by municipality; some require submission before start of school year

How often

annual

Rhode Island requires school committee approval -- not just notification. Procedures, forms, and timelines vary by municipality. Families must contact their local school committee or superintendent's office to determine the specific process. Unlike notification-only states, families generally cannot begin homeschooling without school committee approval.

R.I.G.L. 16-19-2 (school committee approval of equivalent instruction)

Status

Required if your child is currently enrolled in school

Send to

local school committee or superintendent

Withdrawal is typically handled as part of the school committee approval process under Section 16-19-2. Families submit a written request. The committee may require a meeting, documentation of the proposed educational program, or other materials before granting approval. Until approval is granted, the child is technically still subject to compulsory attendance requirements..

R.I.G.L. 16-19-2 (withdrawal handled through school committee approval process)

Reporting requirements are established locally as a condition of school committee approval. Some committees require annual reporting (year-end summary, test scores, portfolio review, or progress narrative). Some require mid-year and end-of-year check-ins. Some require only initial approval and a brief annual renewal. Most school committees require annual renewal of homeschool approval.

R.I.G.L. 16-19-2 (school committee sets reporting conditions as part of approval)

• ✓Attendance records

Records may be reviewed by the district.

R.I.G.L. 16-19-2 requires that 'registers are kept and returned to the school committee, the superintendent of schools, truant officers, and the department of elementary and secondary education' — the same attendance registers required of public schools. Many school committees also require curriculum documentation and work samples. Requirements are communicated as part of the approval process.

R.I.G.L. 16-19-2(2)