How To Start Homeschooling in Ohio

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I have been listening to what the local media is saying about homeschooling and quickly discovered that they are telling parents that they must “apply” for permission to homeschool in Ohio. This is simply not true! We do not ask for permission or apply for permission in Ohio. We “notify,” following the notification requirements of the Ohio Administrative Code. 


Some school districts insist that parents must fill out a specific form, often provided by the school district. This is also not true. These forms usually request information that is not required by the administrative code. I recommend that parents write a letter in which they specify that they will fulfill all the requirements of the administrative code, following the precise letter of the law, no more, no less. 


So, for those who are preparing this type of letter, here is a sample letter that covers the bare minimum of what the Ohio Administrative Code 3301-34-04 requires:


“CONCISE OHIO NOTIFICATION LETTER

This letter is to notify you that I am exercising my right to educate my child at home during the 2020-2021 school year. My child's name and birthdate are:

I affirm that I will provide at least 900 instructional hours in our home education program this year and will include all of the following in our curriculum (except any concept or practice that conflicts with our sincerely held religious beliefs) as required in the Ohio Administrative Code 3301-34-03: language, reading, spelling and writing; geography, history of the United States and Ohio; national, state and local government; mathematics; science; health; physical education; fine arts, including music; and first aid, safety and fire prevention.

The instructional resources we plan to use shall include, but are not limited to: books and periodicals purchased or borrowed from the library; other purchased or borrowed instructional materials, such as audio and video tapes, DVDs or compact discs; computer software; appropriate educational internet resources; radio and television programming; community-based classes and private instruction in specific subjects.

I also assure you that I have at least a high school diploma and that I will be the person teaching my child the subjects set forth in the paragraph above."


In the past some school districts have contested the parents’ right to provide a simple list of subjects as their “brief outline of the intended curriculum for the current year.” Please note that the Ohio Administrative Code specifies that “such outline is for informational purposes only.” That means that this brief outline is not an enforcement factor. School districts cannot “approve” or “disapprove” of your notification based on said “outline.” Basically, many schools are locked into the idea of an “alphanumeric” outline, the kind that students often learn to make in elementary school. But the dictionary defines “outline” as: “a general description or plan giving the essential features of something but not the detail.” Indeed, If you look in college catalogs you will probably find that most colleges present their curricula as simple lists of the subjects that will be covered. So don’t let this type of small-minded lack of linguistic understanding stop you from providing a “brief outline,” like the one above, instead of a longer, alphanumeric one. 

The other technicality is that the parent(s) must supply this “information to the superintendent no later than the first week of the start of the public school in the building the child would attend in the school district of residence, or within one week of the date on which the child begins to reside in the district, or within one week from the child's withdrawal from a school.” So be sure to check online with your local school district for that start date and get your notification letter in before that date. Otherwise it is possible that you could face truancy issues in your district. 

In the Ohio Administrative Code it specifies that this notification shall be provided to the superintendent of that school district. The tricky part of this is that some school districts in Ohio operate under local school districts that remain under county school board supervision. If you find the word “local” in your school district you need to locate the Educational Service Center for your district and the superintendent for that ESC. Often superintendents will delegate authority for homeschooling and assign one administrator to handle notifications and communications. This is not specified in the Ohio Administrative Code, however, so parents should notify the superintendent of their school district and perhaps send a “cc” of this notification to whoever that superintendent has directed to handle homeschooling matters. You can probably get this individual’s name and mailing address by phoning your school district. 


Don’t let your school district intimidate you or try to trick you into providing more information than the letter of the law requires. Keep it simple and provide exactly what is required, no more, no less. 

If you need more detail on Ohio Administrative Code 3301-34, you can go to Lawriter online at this URL: http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/3301-34

And if you have any other questions regarding how you begin homeschooling in Ohio don’t hesitate to post questions and comments on this blog. 


Norma Curry

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