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Withdrawing from school to homeschool in Maryland

How to take your child out of school to homeschool in Maryland, 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 Maryland'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 Maryland asks of a new homeschool. At least 15 days before you start: Sign the home instruction notification form your local school system uses and submit it to the local superintendent.Source: COMAR 13A.10.01, Home Instruction (Maryland State Department of Education)
  2. Tell the school. We did not find a Maryland 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. Keep a portfolio of materials showing regular, thorough instruction during the school year. It can include instructional and reading materials, examples of the child's writing, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials and tests. A child taking college courses can show a semester report card or transcript for those courses instead.Source: COMAR 13A.10.01, Home Instruction (Maryland State Department of Education)

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

The Department of Education says a parent can be held responsible for unexcused absences if a child has left public school but the notice of consent has not been filed and instruction has not begun. To go back to public school, the local superintendent decides placement and credits by an evaluation.Source: Maryland State Department of Education: Home Instruction FAQ

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 Maryland.

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 Maryland; 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.