________________
To: ________________
I am withdrawing ________________ from your school. My child will be educated at home under the law of West Virginia.
Please send me a copy of my child's school records.
Thank you.
SignatureDate
Withdrawing from school to homeschool in West Virginia
How to take your child out of school to homeschool in West Virginia, step by step: what to file first, what to tell the school, and a letter to print.
- West Virginia law
- This year's checklist
- Letter of intent
- Withdrawing from school
- ESA money
This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and West Virginia'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
- Before your child's last day, do what West Virginia asks of a new homeschool. When you start (for a child in public school: on or before the first day of home instruction): Give the county superintendent or county board a notice of intent, with evidence of your high school diploma or equivalent. Fill in the West Virginia letter of intent.Source: W.Va. Code 18-8-1, compulsory school attendance exemptions (WV Legislature); WV Department of Education: Homeschool State Code
- Tell the school. We did not find a West Virginia 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Keep copies of everything you send and anything you get back, with the dates. Good practice, not a legal step.
- Start your records on day one. A parent or legal guardian keeps copies of each student's Academic Assessment for three years. If the assessment does not show acceptable progress, start a remedial program, and after a second year without acceptable progress, send the county superintendent more evidence that appropriate instruction is being given.Source: W.Va. Code 18-8-1, compulsory school attendance exemptions (WV Legislature)
What West Virginia's law or education agency says about leaving school
The notice of intent is due on or before the date home instruction begins when the child is in a public school. Notify the county superintendent when home instruction ends for a child of compulsory age.
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; that is the letter of intent.
Your letter
Keep a copy with the date you handed it in or mailed it.
Where this comes from
- W.Va. Code 18-8-1, compulsory school attendance exemptions (WV Legislature) (the law)
- W.Va. Code 18-8-1a, commencement and termination of compulsory attendance (WV Legislature) (the law)
- W.Va. Code 18-5-45, school calendar (WV Legislature) (the law)
- WV Department of Education: Homeschool State Code (state agency)
- Hope Scholarship Program: FAQ (Office of the State Treasurer) (state agency)
- Hope Scholarship Program (West Virginia State Treasurer) (state agency)
- W.Va. Code 18-31-7, Hope Scholarship qualifying expenses (WV Legislature) (the law)
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 West Virginia; 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.