Washington Homeschool Law

Declaration of Intent to Homeschool Form

RCW 28A.200.010 Home-Based Instruction- Duties of parents. Each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall have the duty to:

(1) File annually a signed declaration of intent that he or she is planning to cause his or her child to receive home-based instruction. The statement shall include the name and age of the child, shall specify whether a certified person will be supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. Each parent shall file the statement by September 15 of the school year or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester with the superintendent of the public school district within which the parent resides or the district that accepts the transfer, and the student shall be deemed a transfer student of the nonresident district. Parents may apply for transfer under RCW 28A.225.20.

UPDATE (7/05): Due to many school districts using forms out of compliance with state law CHN has provided the following information:

Report on Declaration of Intent

Instructions for DOI Form

DOI form

If you are a member of HSLDA they have prepared a DOI form as a service to their members. http://www.hslda.org/

Commonly Asked Questions:

Q. My school district’s form asks for more information than the law requires. Do I have to answer these questions?

A. No, anything that you are asked outside of the above guidelines is optional. This is a signed document and we suggest that you volunteer as little as possible. Some information could be used against you or your child.

Q. Where do I file the declaration of intent to homeschool?

A. With your local superintendent’s office, or a district that will accept it. Some school districts have told parents to file at other locations, but this is not correct. Remember that it is your responsibility to file with the proper official.

Q. What if I missed the filing deadlines? Can I still homeschool?

A. Yes, you can still homeschool. The law states when you need to file your DOI form, it does not specify when you can start. According to the homeschool law this is the parent’s decision. In some cases, such as withdrawing a child mid-year, there is less risk of problems if you file your declaration of intent to homeschool upon withdrawing your child.

Q. If I am using a certified instructor, do I need to list their name?

A. No, just check that you are using a certified instructor.

Q. If my child is enrolled in an alternative learning program, do I need to file a declaration of intent to homeschool?

A. No, this is a public school program and you are no longer under homeschooling laws.

For additional information please review our Report on Declaration of Intent

This document is property of CHN and is not intended to be, and does not constitute, the giving of legal advice. It may be reproduced if done so in its entirety.