Parents are obligated to ensure their child's compliance with state compulsory attendance laws, which dictate that a child who turns five on or before September 30 of a school year and is not yet 18 years old must attend school. This attendance can be fulfilled by enrolling in a public or private school or pursuing one of the approved alternatives to traditional schooling outlined in the Code of Virginia. Home instruction, commonly known as "homeschooling," is one such alternative, permissible when all stipulated Code requirements have been met.

To engage in homeschooling, parents must adhere to these specific steps:

1. Demonstrate eligibility by meeting one of the criteria for providing home instruction (refer to "Criteria for Providing Home Instruction" below).

2. Submit a notice of intent to homeschool.

3. Furnish a list of subjects that will be studied for the upcoming academic year.

4. Provide evidence of academic progress by August 1 at the end of the school year.

All required documentation must be submitted to the local school division. For those who live in Waynesboro City please submit documents to Dale Baldwin, dbaldwin@waynesboro.k12.va.us

The Code of Virginia requires the parent providing home instruction to submit evidence to their local school division that they meet one of the following options:

• Option I: The parent holds a high school diploma or a higher credential

• Option II: The parent meets the qualifications of a teacher as prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education

• Option III: The parent provides the child with a program of study or curriculum which may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program or in any other manner

• Option IV: The parent provides evidence that the parent can provide an adequate education for the child

Any parent who elects to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance shall annually notify their local school division by August 15 of their intention to instruct the child. Parents who move into the school district or begin home instruction after the school year has begun must notify the school division as soon as practicable and comply with the provisions of the law within 30 days of such notice. Parents may use the Sample Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction by printing it out and mailing it to the address listed on the form to meet the notice requirement or fill out the following online form.

For additional information regarding the notice of intent requirement, please contact Dale Baldwin, dbaldwin@waynesboro.k12.va.us

The parent who elects to provide home instruction shall submit to their local school division, by August 1 following the school year in which the child has received home instruction, evidence of the child’s academic progress with either:

• Evidence that the child has attained a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test; or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT test; or

• An evaluation or assessment which the division superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress, including but not limited to:

  • An evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, having knowledge of the child's academic progress, stating that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress; or

  • A report card or transcript from a community college or college, college distance learning program, or home-education correspondence school

For additional information regarding the evidence of progress requirement, please contact Dale Baldwin, dbaldwin@waynesboro.k12.va.us