The Short Answer
To withdraw your child from public school in Illinois, send a written letter to the school stating that your child is being withdrawn and now attends a private school (your home school). Illinois requires no registration with the state board of education, no notice to the district, no approval, and no testing. Keep a dated copy of your letter and request any records you want. You can withdraw at any time. You teach the required branches of study in English, covered in the main guide. Compulsory age runs from 6 to 17. Confirm your district's records process with the school office.
Verified June 2026 against the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/26-1) and People v. Levisen. Confirm current district withdrawal procedures with your school before relying on this for legal decisions.
Illinois Withdrawal at a Glance
| Step 1: Write the letter | A written letter stating the child now attends a private school |
|---|---|
| Step 2: Deliver it | Send or hand it to the school office; keep a dated copy |
| Step 3: Request records | Ask for immunization records, transcripts, or other documents |
| State registration | None required or permitted |
| Approval needed | None |
| Timing | Any time during the year |
| Compulsory age | 6 to 17 |
How Withdrawal Works in Illinois
Illinois recognizes a home school as a private school, and there is no state registration for private schools, so withdrawal is light. You do not notify the Illinois State Board of Education, you do not register with the district, and you do not seek approval. To withdraw your child from public school, you send a written letter stating your child now attends a private school. The school updates its enrollment records, and the move is complete.
The legal foundation is the Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/26-1), which exempts children from compulsory public school attendance when they attend a private school. The 1950 Illinois Supreme Court ruling in People v. Levisen established that a home qualifies as a private school under this exemption, provided instruction is in the required subjects and in English. That framework has stood for 75 years and no state registration mechanism exists. ISBE does not register home-based private schools and has no process to do so.
Illinois's compulsory attendance age runs from 6 through 17. If your child is in that range and leaves public school without communication, the school will generate attendance notices. Sending the withdrawal letter stops that. The letter goes to the school to update its enrollment records; it is not a legal filing with any state office.
Step 1: Write the Withdrawal Letter
The withdrawal letter is the one document you need. Keep it short: your child's name, that you are withdrawing the child effective on a given date, and that the child now attends a private school. You do not need to describe your curriculum, name the subjects you will teach, or prove any qualifications. The letter is a notice, not an application. The school has no authority to approve or deny your decision to withdraw.
Address it to the principal or the school's attendance or registrar office. A single paragraph is enough. The letter does not need to be notarized or formally formatted. Write it, date it, and deliver it.
The private school basis for home education in Illinois, established by People v. Levisen, and the six branches of study you are required to teach are covered in the Illinois homeschooling guide. Before you start building a curriculum, the free reading assessment gives you a grounded starting point for where your child stands today.
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Step 2: Deliver It and Keep a Copy
Deliver the letter to the school office in person, by email, or by mail. Delivering it in person and asking for acknowledgment, or sending it by a method that confirms receipt, gives you a record that the school received it. Keep a dated copy for your files.
That copy is your protection. Because Illinois requires no state or district filing, your withdrawal letter is the document that shows when and how you removed your child from the public system. Schools sometimes process enrollment changes slowly. If the school sends a stray attendance or truancy notice after the withdrawal, your dated letter with proof of delivery resolves it quickly.
Some Illinois school districts hand families a district withdrawal form and ask them to complete it. You can fill it out if you want to be cooperative, but completing it is not a legal requirement, and the district's signature is not what authorizes your private school. Your written letter stating your child attends a private school is what carries the legal weight under Illinois law. Do not let a district form imply you need its permission, because you do not.
Step 3: Request Records
While you are at the school or in communication with the office, ask for any records you want to keep: immunization records, report cards, and transcripts. These are useful later for activities, co-op programs, college applications, or a future return to public school. The school should provide them on request.
You are not required to gather these, but it is far easier to collect them during the withdrawal conversation than to track them down afterward. Once the enrollment relationship ends, access becomes less convenient. Collect what you need while the conversation is already open.
Once you have the records and the letter is delivered, you can begin teaching the same day. There is no waiting period in Illinois. The Guide covers building a teaching plan that covers the six required branches of study, which is the practical next step once the withdrawal paperwork is done.
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What Illinois Does Not Require, and Special Education
It is worth being clear about how light Illinois is. There is no registration with ISBE, and the state does not even accept homeschool registrations. There is no annual notice to the district. There is no standardized testing requirement, no portfolio requirement, and no requirement for an annual evaluation by a third party. Your only ongoing legal obligation is to teach the required branches of study in English at a level that qualifies as an adequate course of instruction. The main Illinois homeschooling guide covers what those branches are and what teaching them looks like in practice.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program, the special education services provided through the public school end when you withdraw to a private home school. Illinois does allow school districts to make certain services available to private school students, but access and scope vary by district and are not guaranteed. Contact the district's special education office before withdrawing if services are in place. Getting clear on what changes before the withdrawal is final prevents problems that are harder to resolve after the move is made.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Illinois withdrawal is genuinely easy, and the only trap is overthinking it or letting a district imply you need its permission. You do not. You send a short letter stating your child now attends a private school, you deliver it in a way you can prove, and you keep a dated copy. If your district hands you a withdrawal form, fine, fill it out, but your private school letter is what matters under Illinois law.
Grab your child's records on the way out, then put your energy into a strong year of learning. Our Illinois homeschooling guide covers the six branches of study and everything else that comes after the letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Withdraw My Child From Public School in Illinois?
Send a written letter to the school stating that your child now attends a private school. Illinois requires no registration with the state, no district approval, and no testing.
Do I Register My Homeschool With the State of Illinois?
No. Illinois treats home schools as private schools and does not require or even accept homeschool registration with the state board of education.
Can I Withdraw at Any Time?
Yes. There is no window to wait for. You can withdraw at any point during the school year.
What If My District Gives Me a Withdrawal Form?
You can complete it, but the law does not require district permission. Your written private school letter is what carries the legal weight.
What Happens to My Child's IEP?
Public school special education services end when you withdraw to a private home school. Districts may offer limited services, but the IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the special education office before withdrawing.