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Withdrawing from school to homeschool in California

How to take your child out of school to homeschool in California, step by step: what to file first, what to tell the school, and a letter to print.

This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and California's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.

Deadlines, forms and amounts checked on against the sources linked on this page.

Step by step

  1. Before your child's last day, do what California asks of a new homeschool. When you open your home school (the filing system is open August 1 to June 30): File the Private School Affidavit online with the California Department of Education. The state's form: Private School Affidavit (online).Source: Department of Education: Private Schools Frequently Asked Questions
  2. Tell the school. We did not find a California rule on how to tell the school. A short dated letter, with a copy kept, gives you a record of the day your child left.
  3. Ask for your child's records (report cards, test results, any evaluations or plans) so you know where your child stands. Good practice, not a legal step.
  4. If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan, ask the district before you leave what, if anything, it offers homeschooled students, and get a copy of the plan. Good practice, not a legal step.
  5. Keep copies of everything you send and anything you get back, with the dates. Good practice, not a legal step.
  6. Start your records on day one. A private school keeps attendance in a register that shows every absence of a half day or more. The school should also keep a copy of its filed affidavit, and the Department of Education collects no student records.Source: California Education Code 48222 (legislature)

What California's law or education agency says about leaving school

The Department of Education says a student not enrolled in a public school and not exempt under the Education Code may be declared truant by the local school district. A private school that has not filed the affidavit does not exempt its students.Source: Department of Education: Private Schools Frequently Asked Questions

A letter to the school

Fill this in and print it. It tells the school your child is leaving to be taught at home and asks for the records. It is not the state's notice.

For example a copy of your notice, or the acknowledgement the state sent you.

Nothing you type here is saved or sent.

Your letter

________________

To: ________________

I am withdrawing ________________ from your school. My child will be educated at home under the law of California.

Please send me a copy of my child's school records.

Thank you.

SignatureDate
Keep a copy with the date you handed it in or mailed it.

Where this comes from

Checked on October 29, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and forms change; confirm a date with your school district or the state agency before you rely on it. For legal advice, ask a lawyer licensed in California; homeschool legal-help organizations and your state's homeschool groups can also point you to help. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.