Homeschooling in Texas

Your options

Home schools operate as private schools exempt from compulsory attendance (Leeper v. Arlington ISD, Tex. 1994; Tex. Educ. Code 25.086(a)(1)).

Notice or letter of intent

NO NOTICE REQUIRED. TEA does not register or approve home schools. On withdrawal, a signed dated parent letter saying the child is being home-schooled is sufficient; a district may ask for a one-time written letter of assurance.

Our Texas notice template (check it against the law before you send it).

Subjects, time, assessment and records

Subjects

Must be a bona fide curriculum including good citizenship; TEA letter of assurance covers reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and good citizenship.

Days or hours

None.

Testing or assessment

None required.

Records

None required by the state.

Parent qualifications

None.

Other rules

No state diploma; home school completion treated as equivalent for college admission. Districts must let home school students take PSAT/NMSQT and AP tests (TEC 29.916). Transfer credit handled as for unaccredited private schools (19 TAC 74.26).

Official forms

None (no state form). TEA Home School policy letter: tea.texas.gov/…

The law

Tex. Educ. Code 25.086(a)(1); Leeper v. Arlington ISD, 991 S.W.2d 1 (Tex. 1994); TEC 33.0832 (UIL, as amended by SB 401, 2025) – read the law

Not yet confirmed: the text of Education Code §25.086 was not opened during our check. Check your state’s official page: Texas official page.

Who to contact

• Texas Education Agency (TEA) – TEA (does not regulate home schools)General enquiries: [email protected] · 512-463-9290 (General Inquiry) / 512-463-9734 (TEA main) · Official pageThis office doesn’t publish a homeschool email, so this is its general address. Ask for your message to be passed to whoever handles homeschooling.Who handles notices: Nobody (no notice or registration); district may request a letter of assurance

Special education and public school classes and sports

Home-schooled children with disabilities are treated as parentally placed private school children if the home school meets private-school criteria: Child Find applies, equitable services via a services plan, no individual right to services; ages 3-4 may dual enroll (TEA SPED Support guide: spedsupport.tea.texas.gov/…). UIL: SB 401 (2025) is current law – participation is the default unless the board opts out (first opt-out deadline 1 Sept 2025; later changes by 1 Aug of the prior year); if the zoned school opts out, the nearest participating school; academic eligibility shown by a norm-referenced test in the first six weeks (uiltexas.org/…).

Federal rules on Child Find and evaluations apply in every state – see special education.

Going back to public school in Texas

The Texas Education Agency says districts may place students coming from home school by reviewing the curriculum, course of study and work of the student. For credit, students from home schools should get the same treatment as transfers from unaccredited private schools (19 TAC 74.26(a)(2)): a district may review the curriculum and work, or use assessments. Whether to use tests is a local decision.

Source: Texas Education Agency: Home schools (letter to administrators)

To enroll, contact the enrollment or registration office of your local school district or public school, and ask how it decides grade placement and credits before your child starts. See the Texas official page, and going back to school after homeschooling for what to bring, placement, credits and special education.