How to Start Homeschooling in Washington

Absolutely. Homeschooling has been legal in Washington since 1985. The state recognizes home-based instruction as an approved alternative to public school attendance under RCW 28A.200.010 and the compulsory attendance statute RCW 28A.225.010. Here is the key thing to understand: your Declaration of Intent is a notification, not a request for permission. You are telling the school district that you are homeschooling. They do not approve or deny your filing. No district can refuse it.

Washington also offers a completely separate path through private school extension programs under RCW 28A.195. These let you enroll in a private school that handles the administrative side while you do the teaching at home. Both options are fully legal.

Washington's compulsory education ages run from 8 through 18 under RCW 28A.225.010. That upper age of 18 is higher than many states, so plan to homeschool through the end of high school unless your child graduates or turns 18 first.

Here is a detail that catches many families off guard. If your child is 6 or 7 years old, compulsory attendance applies only if the child has already been enrolled in school. Never enrolled your 6-year-old? You are not legally required to begin formal instruction until age 8. But if your child is currently attending kindergarten or first grade, you must formally withdraw them before starting to homeschool. Simply keeping them home without withdrawing is not enough and can trigger truancy issues. Kindergarten is not compulsory in Washington, which gives families with younger children flexibility about when to start.

Getting started is simpler than it looks. Here is the process, one step at a time.

Step 1: Confirm your instructor qualification. Washington is one of a small number of states that requires the teaching parent to demonstrate qualifications. Do not let that discourage you. There are four pathways, and most parents already qualify under at least one. You need just one: (a) at least 45 college-level quarter credits (about 30 semester credits) from any field — the credits do not need to be in education, and community college counts; (b) completion of a course in home-based instruction at a postsecondary institution or a vocational-technical institute; (c) supervision by someone holding a valid Washington State teaching certificate; or (d) being deemed qualified by your local school district superintendent. If you have spent two years at a community college, you almost certainly clear pathway (a). If not, pathways (b) through (d) exist so that the qualification requirement is not a dead end.

Step 2: File your Declaration of Intent. Send this to the superintendent of your local school district by September 15. Include the name and age of each child, your name and address, a statement that you intend to provide home-based instruction, and which qualification pathway you meet. There is no state form. A simple letter works. No fee. Some districts offer their own form, but you are not required to use it.

Step 3: If your child is currently enrolled, withdraw them. Notify the school directly and request your child's educational records. For mid-year withdrawals, file your Declaration of Intent within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter.

Step 4: Start teaching. Cover the required subjects for at least 180 days and 1,000 hours per year for all grades 1 through 12 (RCW 28A.195.010). Keep a daily or weekly hour log from day one.

Step 5: Complete an annual assessment. Each year, either administer a nationally recognized standardized test or have a certificated teacher evaluate your child's progress. No minimum score is required. Keep the results in your files.

Step 6: Refile your Declaration of Intent by September 15 each year. This annual renewal keeps you in good standing.

The one document you need is a Declaration of Intent to Provide Home-Based Instruction. It goes to the superintendent of your local school district. Include: the name and age of each child you are homeschooling, your name as parent or guardian, your family's address, a statement of intent to provide home-based instruction, and which instructor qualification pathway you meet. This filing is governed by RCW 28A.200.010(1)(a).

There is no statewide form and no fee. Some districts provide their own template. Others accept a free-form letter. Either way, keep a copy. If you move to a new school district during the year, you must file a new Declaration of Intent with the new district's superintendent. Forgetting this step after a move is one of the most common compliance mistakes Washington homeschool families make.

If your child is currently attending a public or private school, you need to formally withdraw them before you start homeschooling. File your Declaration of Intent with the school district superintendent and also notify the child's school directly. Ask for your child's educational records so you have a complete file.

For mid-year withdrawals, file the Declaration of Intent within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter. No provision in the law allows a district to refuse a declaration filed at any time, so do not let anyone tell you that you have to wait.

If your child has an IEP, understand that the IEP ceases once you withdraw from public school. However, Washington does allow homeschooled children to access ancillary services through their local school district under RCW 28A.150.350. These services can include speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, psychological services, testing, and remedial instruction. Contact your district's special education office to ask about eligibility. For families with children who need ongoing support, this access can make a real difference.

Washington requires instruction in 11 subject areas: reading, writing, spelling, language, mathematics, science, social studies, history, health, occupational education, and the development of an appreciation of art and music (RCW 28A.225.010(4)). History is listed separately from social studies in the statute.

That is a longer list than most states require. But here is the reassuring part: you choose the curricula, materials, and methods. There is no curriculum approval process. The state tells you which subjects to address, not which textbooks to buy or how to teach them. Occupational education can mean career exploration, learning to cook, budgeting, or even working alongside a family business. Art and music count whether your child is taking formal lessons or drawing at the kitchen table. Many families address these subjects through projects, field trips, and daily life rather than through separate textbook units.

Washington requires at least 180 instructional days and 1,000 instructional hours per year for all grades 1 through 12 (RCW 28A.195.010). That works out to roughly 5.5 hours per day. The 1,000-hour figure comes from the private school statute that homeschool law references — it is the same for every grade level.

Only actual instructional time counts. Your lesson planning and prep work do not count toward the hours. What does count: direct teaching, supervised study, and educational field trips. Keep a log from your first day. A simple spreadsheet or notebook is fine. RCW 28A.200.020 affirms broad parental autonomy and does not grant districts a right to inspect your records. However, consistent tracking protects you if questions ever arise. Families who keep vague or incomplete hour logs risk compliance problems. Consistent tracking from the start saves you from scrambling later.

Every homeschooled child in Washington must be assessed every year. This is not like Colorado, where testing happens at specific grade levels. Washington requires it annually. You pick the method that fits your family.

Option 1: Standardized test. Give your child a nationally recognized achievement test. Accepted tests include the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), Stanford Achievement Test, California Achievement Test (CAT), Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, and Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT). The test must be administered by a qualified person. The key detail: there is no minimum score. Your child needs to take the test, but a low score carries no penalty. Skipping the test entirely, however, is non-compliant. The requirement is that testing happens, not that scores reach a particular level.

Option 2: Certified teacher evaluation. Have someone holding a valid Washington State teaching certificate review your child's work and determine whether they are making reasonable progress. This option works well for families whose teaching approach does not align with multiple-choice formats or for children who simply do not test well.

Keep your results on file. You do not need to send them to the district proactively. RCW 28A.200.020 affirms parental autonomy over instruction and does not grant districts a right to demand records. Results must be forwarded if your child transfers to another school (RCW 28A.200.010(1)(b)).

Washington gives you more than one way to educate your child at home. The most common approach is home-based instruction under RCW 28A.200. You file a Declaration of Intent, meet one of four instructor qualification pathways, and manage instruction, assessment, and records yourself. The subject, hour, and assessment requirements are the same regardless of which qualification pathway you choose.

A completely separate option is the private school extension program under RCW 28A.195. You enroll in a private school that runs an extension program for homeschool families. The school handles filings, recordkeeping, and compliance oversight. You teach at home under the school's guidance. No Declaration of Intent or instructor credential is needed from you. This is ideal for parents who do not meet the instructor qualification requirements or who prefer to have compliance managed by someone else.

Do not confuse either of these with Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) programs. Some Washington public school districts offer ALE programs where a certificated teacher develops and supervises the student's learning plan. ALE students are enrolled in public school. They follow public school requirements, including state testing. If you want the independence and flexibility of homeschooling, an ALE program is a fundamentally different arrangement.

September 15 is your most important date. The Declaration of Intent deadline is firm. Missing it can lead to truancy concerns. If you start mid-year, file within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter.

The 45-credit pathway is easier to meet than you expect. Any college credits count. Any field. Community college, four-year university, even online courses from an accredited institution. Two years of community college will typically get you well past 45 quarter credits. You do not need a degree.

Know a certified teacher? Use Pathway 3. A friend, family member, or neighbor with a valid Washington State teaching certificate can supervise your homeschool. The statute requires planning of objectives and a minimum average of one contact hour per week with the child (RCW 28A.225.010(4)(a)). The supervisor may oversee up to 30 children total. This can also be arranged through a private school extension program.

If the superintendent denies Pathway 4, explore alternatives. The superintendent's decision under Pathway 4 is case by case, with no specific criteria set in statute. Denial may be appealable, though the process is not well-defined. If this happens, look into completing an approved home-based instruction course (Pathway 2) or arranging certified teacher supervision (Pathway 3) instead.

Be cautious with co-ops. Washington law defines home-based instruction as a parent teaching "his or her child only" (RCW 28A.200). Teaching other families' children under this statute could require private school registration under RCW 28A.195. To stay compliant, each parent should teach their own children within the co-op, or the group should organize under a private school extension program.

Immunizations do not apply to homeschoolers not enrolled in school. Washington's immunization requirements (RCW 28A.210) apply to children attending school, preschool, or licensed child care — not to homeschoolers who are not enrolled in a school. If your child enrolls part-time in public school, the school's immunization requirements apply for that enrollment. The philosophical exemption for MMR was eliminated in 2019; religious and medical exemptions remain.

Your child can take public school courses part-time. Under RCW 28A.150.350, school districts must ("shall permit") allow homeschooled students to enroll part-time and receive ancillary services — this is mandatory, not discretionary. The Running Start program (RCW 28A.600.310) explicitly includes students receiving home-based instruction under chapter 28A.200 RCW. Running Start lets 11th and 12th graders take community college courses tuition-free.

You issue the diploma. Washington does not grant a state diploma to homeschool students. As the parent, you create a diploma or certificate of completion and a transcript. Washington's public universities, including UW and WSU, have specific homeschool applicant policies. Check each school's admissions page for requirements like College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs).