The Short Answer
To withdraw your child from public school in Ohio, send a written notification to your district superintendent stating that you will provide home education, and notify your child's school so attendance tracking stops. Since the 2023 changes, Ohio home education is notification-only: no assessment, no parent-credential requirement, and no hour tracking to begin. The notification includes your name and address, the child's name, and an assurance that the child will be taught the required subjects. Keep a dated copy. Compulsory age runs from 6 to 18. Confirm current details at education.ohio.gov.
Verified June 2026 against Ohio Revised Code Section 3321.042 and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Confirm current notification details at education.ohio.gov before relying on this for legal decisions.
Ohio Withdrawal at a Glance
| Step 1: Send the notification | Written notification to your district superintendent |
|---|---|
| Step 2: What it includes | Your name and address, child's name, assurance of required subjects |
| Step 3: Notify the school | Tell your child's school the child is withdrawn to home education |
| Step 4: Keep records | Save a dated copy of your notification |
| Assessment to begin | None (removed in 2023) |
| Compulsory age | 6 to 18 |
How Withdrawal Works in Ohio
Since 2023, Ohio home education is notification-only, and that makes withdrawal short. You send your district superintendent a written notification that you will provide home education, and you tell your child's school so it stops counting the child absent. There is no approval, no assessment to start, and no parent-credential check. The notification is the one document that matters.
The legal basis is Ohio Revised Code Section 3321.042. Ohio's 2023 budget bill, known as HB 33, made the law notification-only by repealing the parent diploma requirement, the 900-hour instruction requirement, and the annual independent assessment requirement. What remains is a single written notification filed with the district superintendent. Once it is filed, the district has no further role in your child's education for that school year.
Ohio's compulsory attendance age runs from 6 through 18. If your child falls in that range and is leaving public school, the notification to the superintendent is what places your child inside the home education exemption. A child who stops attending public school without a filed notification is still on the public school rolls and counts as absent. The notification closes that gap.
Step 1: Send the Notification to Your Superintendent
The notification goes to your school district superintendent. It is brief: your name and address, your child's name, and an assurance that your child will receive instruction in the required subject areas. Ohio Revised Code Section 3321.042 does not require you to submit a curriculum, name the materials you will use, prove hours, or arrange an assessment to begin. All of those requirements were removed in 2023.
The required subjects under current Ohio law are language arts, mathematics, science, history, geography, government, health, first aid, safety, and fire prevention. Your notification states that your child will receive instruction in those areas. You do not break them out or describe your approach; the assurance is the requirement.
This is the action that establishes your home education under current Ohio law. We cover the notification, what comes next, and how to stay current as Ohio's law continues to settle in the Ohio homeschooling guide. Before you start teaching, the free reading assessment gives you a grounded starting point for where your child stands academically right now.
Want to see what a structured plan looks like before you commit?
Two chapters, a curriculum breakdown, and a worksheet -- free.
See inside before you buy. Delivered by email.
Step 2: Notify Your Child's School
Send a short written note to your child's specific public school stating that the child is withdrawn to home education. In many districts the superintendent notification flows down to the school building automatically, but a direct note to the school prevents attendance crossed wires. Keep a dated copy.
The note to the school does not need to be formal. State your child's name, that you are withdrawing the child to a home education program under Ohio law, and the date the withdrawal takes effect. Address it to the principal or the attendance office. Email with delivery confirmation or a hand-delivered note with a receipt from the front office both work. What matters is that you can show the school received it and when.
If you are withdrawing mid-year, the same two steps apply and there is no window to wait for. Send the superintendent notification and the school note close together so the child moves cleanly from enrolled to home-educated without an attendance gap. For a mid-year start, file the superintendent notification within 14 days of beginning home education. The Guide covers building a structured teaching plan from scratch, which is the natural next step once the withdrawal paperwork is sent.
Choosing the right curriculum gets easier when you know what to teach, what to skip, and where to start.
Get the GuideA simple step-by-step plan for getting started.
Step 3: Keep Records and Request Documents
Keep a dated copy of your superintendent notification and your note to the school. Because Ohio no longer requires an assessment or curriculum submission to begin, these two documents are your proof that you withdrew properly and filed a compliant home education notification. Store them together in one folder, paper or digital.
While you are communicating with the school, ask for any records you want to have on hand: immunization records, report cards, transcripts. These are straightforward to collect at the time of withdrawal and harder to track down once the enrollment relationship ends. Immunization records come up again for sports programs, co-ops, and some college applications, so having them filed is practical regardless of what comes next.
What Changed in 2023 and Special Education
It is worth knowing why Ohio withdrawal is now so light. Before 2023, Ohio required a parent with a high school diploma or GED, a minimum of 900 instructional hours per year, and an annual academic assessment conducted by a qualified person. The 2023 changes under HB 33 repealed all three requirements. Ohio moved to a pure notification system. If you read older guidance describing assessments or hour requirements to begin homeschooling in Ohio, it describes the pre-2023 rules and is out of date. The current Ohio homeschooling guide reflects what the law actually requires now.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program, the special education services provided through the public school end when you withdraw to home education. Ohio districts may offer limited services to home education students, but the public school IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the district's special education office before withdrawing if services are in place. Getting clarity on what changes before the withdrawal is final prevents complications that are harder to resolve after the fact.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Ohio withdrawal got a lot easier in 2023, and the biggest favor we can do you is to clear away the old information. You do not need a diploma check, an assessment, or an hour log to begin. You send your superintendent a short notification, you tell your child's school so attendance stops, and you keep dated copies of both. That is it.
Grab your child's records on the way out, then focus on teaching. If you see a guide telling you Ohio requires an evaluator or 900 hours just to start, it is describing the pre-2023 rules. Our Ohio homeschooling guide has the current, lighter version.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Withdraw My Child From Public School in Ohio?
Send a written notification to your district superintendent that you will provide home education, and notify your child's school so attendance tracking stops. Since 2023 the process is notification-only.
Do I Need an Assessment or a Diploma to Start?
No. The 2023 changes removed the parent-credential requirement, the hour requirement, and the assessment needed to begin. Ohio home education is now notification-only.
What Does the Notification Include?
Your name and address, your child's name, and an assurance that the child will receive instruction in the required subjects. You do not submit a curriculum.
Can I Withdraw Mid-Year?
Yes. There is no window to wait for. Send the superintendent notification and the note to your child's school close together. For mid-year starts, file the superintendent notification within 14 days of beginning.
What Happens to My Child's IEP?
Public school special education services end when you withdraw to home education. Districts may offer limited services, but the IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the special education office before withdrawing.