Georgia homeschool checklist for this year
Answer two questions and get the year's deadlines with their dates, the notice, testing and records, each linked to the law. Print it or tick it off here.
- Georgia law
- This year's checklist
- Withdrawing from school
- ESA money
This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and Georgia'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.
Georgia homeschool checklist, school year
Things to do, with their deadlines
File a Declaration of Intent with the Georgia Department of Education (online, or by email, fax or mail), not the local district.
Source: GaDOE: Georgia Home School, information about home study programs (August 2025)A nationally standardized test. You keep the scores; they are not sent in. Georgia Milestones tests do not count.
Source: GaDOE: Georgia Home School, information about home study programs (August 2025); GaDOE: Georgia Home School supporting information (October 2024)
The state's own form: Declaration of Intent (online, Georgia Department of Education).
All year
Teach the subjects Georgia names: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science.
Source: GaDOE: Georgia Home School, information about home study programs (August 2025)Keep count of the days and hours. The program must give instruction equal to 180 school days a year, with each school day at least four and one-half school hours.
Source: GaDOE: Georgia Home School, information about home study programs (August 2025)The teaching parent writes an annual progress report for each student covering reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science, and keeps each report for at least three years. Keep the nationally standardized test scores and records too.
Source: GaDOE: Georgia Home School, information about home study programs (August 2025)
Good habits (not in the law)
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Keep a copy of everything you send, and of any acknowledgement you get back, with the date.
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Start simple records on day one: the days you teach, the books you read and a few samples of work in each subject. They help if you move, return to school or apply to college.
Where this comes from
- GaDOE: Georgia Home School, information about home study programs (August 2025) (state agency)
- GaDOE: Georgia Home School supporting information (October 2024) (state agency)
- GaDOE: Home School Declaration of Intent (online form) (state agency)
- Senate Bill 233 (2024), Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, signed legislation (Governor's site) (the law)
- Georgia Student Finance Commission: Georgia Promise Scholarship FAQ (state agency)
- Georgia Student Finance Commission: Georgia Promise Scholarship (state agency)
- Georgia Promise Scholarship program site (Georgia Education Savings Authority) (other)
- Georgia Promise Scholarship: family handbook, August 2026 (PDF) (other)
- Georgia Promise Scholarship: testing guide, July 2026 (PDF) (other)
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 Georgia; 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.