To withdraw your child from public school in Missouri, send a written withdrawal letter to the school stating that your child is being withdrawn to a home school. Missouri requires no notice to the district to home school, no approval, and no testing. After withdrawal you teach the required subjects for 1,000 hours per year and keep a log of instruction and samples of work, covered in the main guide. Keep a dated copy of your letter and request any records you want. Compulsory age runs from 7 to 17. Confirm your district's records process with the school office.
Verified June 2026 against Missouri Revised Statutes Section 167.031 and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Confirm current district procedures with your school before relying on this for legal decisions.
| Step | What You Do in Missouri |
|---|---|
| 1. Write the letter | A written letter stating the child is withdrawn to a home school |
| 2. Deliver it | Send or hand it to the school office; keep a dated copy |
| 3. Request records | Ask for immunization records, transcripts, or other documents |
| District notice | None required to home school |
| Approval needed | None |
| After withdrawal | Teach 1,000 hours per year; keep a log and work samples |
| Compulsory age | 7 to 17 |
How Withdrawal Works in Missouri
Missouri does not require you to notify the school district to begin home schooling, so withdrawal is a notice to the school, not an application for permission. You send the public school a written letter stating your child is withdrawn to a home school, the school updates its enrollment records, and the move is complete. No one approves it, there is no form to file with the state, and no waiting period applies.
The legal basis is Missouri Revised Statutes Section 167.031, which exempts children who receive home instruction meeting the statute's requirements from the compulsory public school attendance law. The statute asks nothing of you at the start: no registration, no government contact, no filing. The letter to the school is for the school's internal records, not a requirement of the home school law.
Missouri's structure puts the obligation on the back end: once you start, you track hours and keep records. That is the part worth setting up on day one, which this guide previews. We cover it fully in the Missouri homeschooling guide.
Step 1: Write the Withdrawal Letter
The withdrawal letter is the one document you need to produce at the time of withdrawal. Keep it short. Include your child's name, the effective date of withdrawal, and a statement that the child will be receiving instruction in a home school. You do not need to describe a curriculum, list subjects, or prove anything about your qualifications. The letter is a notice to the school's attendance office, and the school uses it to update its records.
Some Missouri districts circulate their own withdrawal forms, and completing one is fine if the school offers it. But there is no legal requirement to use a district form. A straightforward letter you write yourself is sufficient.
The specific phrase "home school" is worth using in the letter rather than describing it as private tutoring or another arrangement. Missouri's statute uses that framing, and keeping your letter consistent with the legal basis avoids confusion at the records level.
Before you write the letter, run a free reading assessment so you know where your child stands right now. That baseline tells you whether to pick up where the public school left off or to adjust the starting level in reading and language arts before you build the year's plan.
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Step 2: Deliver It and Keep a Copy
Deliver the letter to the school office in a way you can prove. Hand it in person and ask for a date-stamped copy, email it and save the sent receipt, or mail it with return receipt requested. Any of these work. Keep the confirmation and a dated copy of the letter in a home school records folder.
Because Missouri requires no district notice to home school, your letter is the document that records the transition from the school's side. Keeping a confirmed copy means that if the school ever follows up about attendance, you can show clearly when the withdrawal happened.
For a mid-year withdrawal, the same single step applies. There is no window to wait for, no notice period, and no approval to seek. Send the letter, keep your copy, and attendance tracking for your child ends once the school records the change. Home instruction can begin the same day.
Request school records at the time you deliver the letter. Immunization records, report cards, and transcripts are easier to collect at the point of withdrawal than to retrieve months later. If your child was receiving any academic accommodations or support, ask for those records too, since that documentation helps you understand where extra attention is needed in your home program.
Step 3: Set Up Your Records From Day One
Missouri's distinctive obligation is record-keeping, and it starts on the first day of home instruction. Setting up your records at withdrawal, rather than waiting until you are well into the school year, makes the requirement far easier to meet.
Missouri asks home schools to provide at least 1,000 hours of instruction per year. At least 600 of those hours must cover the five required subjects: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. At least 400 of the total hours must occur at a regular home location. These are private records you maintain yourself and keep for two years. You do not submit them to anyone under normal circumstances.
The required records are three things: a plan book, diary, or written log showing subjects covered and activities done; a portfolio of samples of your child's work; and a record of any evaluations or assessments of your child's progress. None of these need to be elaborate. A notebook for the daily log, a folder for work samples, and a simple note of any testing or evaluations you do covers the requirement. What matters is that the records exist and reflect real instruction.
Starting these records on the first day you home school, rather than trying to reconstruct them later, is the single most useful habit you can build at the outset. Log each day's subjects and rough hours, drop finished worksheets and papers into the portfolio folder, and note any tests or evaluations as they happen. Built this way, the records take a few minutes a day rather than a concentrated effort at year-end. Our Missouri homeschooling guide covers the hours, the subjects, and the record-keeping requirement in full. For building a curriculum from scratch, the Guide walks through subject planning and scheduling.
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Funding Note and Special Education
Missouri's MOScholars program has a Family Paced Education path that covers some home educators. Eligibility is tied to specific criteria including having an IEP, meeting income thresholds, or qualifying through other defined categories. The program can provide meaningful funding for approved educational expenses if you qualify. Our Missouri homeschool funding guide covers the Family Paced Education path, who qualifies, and how to apply. Checking your eligibility does not change the withdrawal steps, but it is worth doing before you set your budget for the year.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program, the special education services provided through the public school end when you withdraw to a home school. Missouri districts may offer limited services to private school students with disabilities on a voluntary basis, but the public school IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the district's special education office before withdrawing if services are in place, so you understand what changes and what options remain.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Missouri withdrawal is easy on the front end and rewards a little setup on the back end. You send a short letter stating your child is withdrawn to a home school, you deliver it in a way you can prove, and you keep a dated copy. There is no district notice required and no approval to wait for. Home instruction begins the same day.
The part we would not skip is starting your records on day one, because Missouri asks for 1,000 hours and a log of instruction with work samples, and that is far easier built daily as you go than reconstructed from memory later. Collect your child's school records on the way out, set up your log and work-sample folder, and check our Missouri funding guide if MOScholars eligibility might apply. Our Missouri homeschooling guide covers the hours, the five subjects, and the record-keeping requirement in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Withdraw My Child From Public School in Missouri?
Send a written withdrawal letter to the school stating that your child is being withdrawn to a home school. Missouri requires no notice to the district to home school and no approval.
Do I Have to Notify the District in Missouri to Home School?
No. There is no required notice to the school district under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 167.031. A written letter to the school withdrawing your child handles the school's attendance records, but it is not a legal requirement of the home school statute.
Can I Withdraw My Child From a Missouri Public School at Any Time?
Yes. There is no window to wait for. The same single letter works at any point in the year, and home instruction can begin the same day the school records the change.
What Records Does Missouri Require From Home Schools?
Home schools provide 1,000 hours of instruction per year, with at least 600 in the five required subjects and 400 at a regular home location, and keep a log of subjects and activities, a portfolio of work samples, and an assessment record for two years. You keep these privately; you do not submit them.
What Happens to My Child's IEP When I Withdraw in Missouri?
Public school special education services end when you withdraw to a home school. Districts may offer limited services, but the IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the special education office before withdrawing if services are in place.
Sources
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home Schooling
Missouri Revised Statutes Section 167.031
HSLDA: How to Comply with Missouri's Homeschool Law