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Leaving school mid-year

You can usually start any time. What matters is the order: in some states you file first, in others you withdraw first.

To leave school mid-year for homeschool, check your state's order first: some laws say file your notice before the child leaves, others give a deadline after. Peabody's state law pages, checked against statutes and education department pages, list each state's steps. Give the school written notice, ask for a copy of your child's records, and keep copies of everything you send.

Checked October 30, 2026.

By Peabody editors.

This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.

Can I take my child out of school in the middle of the year?

Usually, yes; some state records say so plainly. Tennessee: Parents may withdraw a child from public school and register as an independent home school at any point in the school year by filing the Intent to Home School form.

Louisiana: The Department says a school cannot refuse to let a parent withdraw a child, and a child may be withdrawn before the home study approval arrives.

What can go wrong is the gap: a child who stops going to school before the homeschool exists on paper can be marked absent or truant in some states. So find your state's order before the last day.

What do I do first in my state?

Each state's steps for a family taking a child out of school now, from its checklist. States not listed have no leaving step in our record; their notice rule still applies.

StateWhenWhat
ArkansasAfter August 15, for a child in public schoolA Notice of Intent filed after August 15 for a child now in public school starts a waiting period of 5 school days before the child is released; the superintendent or the school board may waive it if…
DelawareBefore your child leaves public schoolThe homeschool must be open and your child enrolled in it before your child is withdrawn from a Delaware public school. Give the school the Acknowledgement Letter.
District of ColumbiaAfter OSSE approves your notificationTell the school you are withdrawing your child, and give it OSSE's verification letter. Until the withdrawal is complete your child stays enrolled there.
GeorgiaWithin 45 days of leaving a public schoolThe local school system must have proof of home school enrollment within 45 days; your Declaration of Intent is that proof.
IllinoisWhen you take your child outNo withdrawal procedure is set in state law, but the State Board strongly recommends giving the school a dated letter saying you are withdrawing your child to home school, and keeping a copy.
IndianaWhen you take your child outTell your child's current principal in writing that you are withdrawing your child to homeschool.
IndianaIf your child has been enrolled in high schoolSign the Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Non-public School Located in Indiana form; without it the student is treated as a dropout.
IowaWithin 14 calendar days of taking your child out (Form A routes)File Form A with the district.
KansasWhen your child leaves a schoolTell the school your child attended, or it must report your child as truant.
KentuckyWithin two weeks of withdrawing your childWrite to the superintendent of your local board of education that you intend to homeschool.
LouisianaAny timeA school cannot refuse to let you withdraw your child. The Department suggests applying first and giving the school a copy of the approval letter.
MassachusettsBefore your child stops going to schoolTaking a child of compulsory school age out of school without an approved home schooling plan makes the child truant.
MichiganWhen you take your child outTelling the local school is not required, but it is suggested; otherwise your child may be marked absent and the truancy officer involved.
MinnesotaWithin 15 days of withdrawing a child aged 7 or olderSend the superintendent the report.
MissouriWhen you take your child outWrite to the school that you intend to pursue other educational options under section 167.031 and ask that your child be dropped from the rolls; the school must remove your child promptly.
NevadaWithin 10 days after your child is formally withdrawnFile the notice of intent.
New HampshireWhen you withdraw your child from a public schoolA declaration of home education is required when you withdraw from a public school (and to use public school programs). Otherwise none is required.
North CarolinaBefore your child leaves schoolDo not withdraw your child or start the home school until DNPE has acknowledged your completed Notice of Intent.
OklahomaWhen you take your child outThe Department suggests telling the principal of the school district your child lives in that you plan to home school. It says the law does not require it.
TexasWhen you take your child outGive the school written notice: a signed withdrawal form or a letter. You do not have to appear in person or show your curriculum.
WyomingIf you have not told the district you are enrolling your child in a home-based programTo take a child under 18 out of a district school, you meet in person with a school counselor or administrator and give written consent to the withdrawal.

What happens to the days my child already did at school?

Indiana: For a mid-year transfer, days attended at the first school count toward the 180.

Nebraska: A child leaving an approved school mid-year can be filed mid-year, with instruction hours prorated.

Elsewhere, if your state counts days or hours, write the school's days at the top of your attendance record with a note, and count on from there.

What should the letter to the school say?

Keep it short and dated: your child's name and grade, the date of the last day, that you are withdrawing them to homeschool under your state's law, and a request for a copy of their records. Illinois's board recommends a dated letter with a copy kept. Texas: A school should dis-enroll a student when it gets written notice, such as a signed withdrawal form or a letter; the TEA says parents do not have to appear in person or present curriculum. Home-schooled students can enter public school at any time.

Your notice to the state or district is a different paper. Where the law asks for one, Peabody's letter maker writes it for your state.

Which records should I ask the school for?

Indiana's Department says to ask for a copy of the child's public school records when you withdraw. The U.S. Department of Education says FERPA gives parents "the right to have access to their children's education records" and the right to seek to have them amended.

  • Report cards and any progress reports.
  • Attendance for this year.
  • State or district test scores.
  • The IEP or 504 plan and the latest evaluation report, if your child has one.
  • The immunization record the school holds.
  • For high school: the transcript of credits earned so far.

What happens to my child's IEP?

What the district still owes a homeschooled child with an IEP depends on federal rules and your state; the IEP after you leave school goes through it. Ask for the latest evaluation report before you go: it is the most useful paper for planning at home.

Write the notice and start the record

Open your state's letter of intent maker where your state accepts one (Florida's is linked as an example; your state's page links its own), and its withdrawing-from-school page for the steps.

Then start the attendance record on your first day at home, with the school's days noted at the top.

Sources