To withdraw your child from public school in Tennessee, choose your path first. On the independent (LEA) path, file a notice of intent to home school with your local director of schools and notify the school; the parent must hold a high school diploma or GED. On the church-related umbrella school path, enroll your child with the umbrella school, which records the home schooling, and notify the public school. Keep copies of whatever you file or your umbrella enrollment. Compulsory age runs from 6 to 17. Confirm procedures at tn.gov/education.
Verified June 2026 against Tennessee Code Annotated Section 49-6-3050 and the Tennessee Department of Education. Confirm current procedures at tn.gov/education before relying on this for legal decisions.
| Step | Independent (LEA) Path | Umbrella School Path |
|---|---|---|
| Establish home schooling | File notice with your local director of schools | Enroll with a church-related umbrella school |
| Parent credential | High school diploma or GED required | Set by the umbrella school |
| Notify the public school | Yes | Yes |
| Keep records | Your filed notice | Your umbrella enrollment |
| Compulsory age | 6 to 17 | |
How Withdrawal Works in Tennessee
Tennessee gives families more than one legal home schooling path, and withdrawal follows the path you pick. Under Tennessee Code Annotated Section 49-6-3050, the two most widely used paths are the independent path through your local education agency and the umbrella school path through a church-related school. A third path enrolls in an accredited correspondence or distance learning program. Decide your path first, because the withdrawal step is different for each one.
On the independent path, you file a notice with your local director of schools, and the district carries a record of your home schooling. On the umbrella path, you enroll your child with a church-related umbrella school that becomes the school of record and handles much of the recordkeeping with the district. On the correspondence path, your child enrolls in the program itself, which provides curriculum, assessments, and diploma issuance.
Regardless of which path you choose, the practical first step is the same: send your child's public school a written withdrawal notice so attendance tracking stops. We compare all three paths in the Tennessee homeschooling guide.
Step 1: Choose Your Path
The choice between paths is the most important decision in Tennessee home schooling, and it shapes everything that follows. It determines what records you maintain, how testing works, whether the teaching parent needs a credential, and what diploma your child receives at graduation.
The independent path keeps you working directly with your local education agency. You file an annual notice with the director of schools by August 1, or within 14 days of starting mid-year, and the district carries a record of your home schooling. The teaching parent must hold a high school diploma or GED. Your child will need standardized testing administered by a licensed Tennessee teacher at the end of grades 5, 7, and 9. The diploma is parent-issued, which is accepted by some colleges but reviewed more carefully than an umbrella school diploma.
The umbrella school path connects you to a church-related school that acts as a private school umbrella over your home instruction. Many umbrella schools handle the district notification as part of enrollment, set their own curriculum expectations, and issue a diploma through the school at graduation. That diploma carries better recognition with Tennessee colleges than a parent-issued diploma in most cases. Families often choose the umbrella path because of the diploma, the support the school provides, and the reduction in direct district contact.
The correspondence or distance learning path enrolls your child in an accredited program that provides curriculum, assessments, and diploma issuance. Your child is enrolled in the correspondence school, not technically a home schooler in the state's classification. For families who want a fully structured, externally validated program, this path works well.
Before settling on a path, take a free reading assessment to know where your child stands academically today. That baseline makes the curriculum planning far easier once you have chosen your path.
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 2A: Withdrawing on the Independent Path
On the independent path, the withdrawal has two parts: a notice to the director of schools and a note to the school building.
File a notice of intent to home school with your local director of schools. For a start at the beginning of the school year, file by August 1. For a mid-year withdrawal, file within 14 days of beginning home instruction. The notice records that you are home schooling under the LEA path and includes basic information about your child. Confirm before you file that the teaching parent holds a high school diploma or GED. That credential requirement is written into Tennessee Code Annotated Section 49-6-3050 for the independent path, and it applies every year you home school on this path.
At the same time, send your child's school a brief written notice that the child is withdrawn. The school updates its enrollment records. Keep a dated copy of both your director-of-schools notice and your school withdrawal note together in one folder.
For a mid-year withdrawal, file the director-of-schools notice first within the 14-day window, then send the school note. Filing first keeps your home instruction legally established before attendance tracking ends. Request school records at withdrawal: immunization records, transcripts, and report cards are easier to collect at the point of leaving than to retrieve later.
Step 2B: Withdrawing on the Umbrella School Path
On the umbrella school path, you enroll your child with a church-related umbrella school that oversees your home schooling. The umbrella school becomes the school of record. Many umbrella schools notify the district as part of their enrollment process, which means you may not need to file a separate notice with the director of schools. Confirm this with your umbrella school before assuming it is done, and ask for written confirmation when the district has been notified.
Still, send your child's public school a brief written note that the child is withdrawn and will be home schooling through an umbrella school. Keep a dated copy. The school will update its records. This step takes a few minutes and gives you clean documentation of the transition from the school side.
Keep your umbrella enrollment paperwork together with your school withdrawal note. These are your documentation of the transition from public enrollment to home schooling. The umbrella school will have its own requirements for curriculum coverage and assessments, which vary by organization. Contact the umbrella school before you complete enrollment to understand what they expect and how they handle district records.
Many Tennessee families choose the umbrella path because the diploma it issues at graduation carries better recognition with Tennessee colleges than a parent-issued diploma. If your child is in the middle or upper grades, the diploma question is worth settling before you choose your path. For building a teaching plan once the withdrawal is complete, the Guide covers structuring a curriculum from scratch under any path.
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.
Funding Note and Special Education
Tennessee enacted the Education Freedom Scholarship in 2025, providing approximately $7,295 per student per year for approved educational expenses. Independent home schoolers on the LEA path cannot access those funds directly. Receiving the scholarship requires enrolling in a registered nonpublic school. Church-related umbrella schools are a separate category and are also not EFS-eligible. This question should inform your path choice if state funding matters to your family, but it does not change the withdrawal steps themselves. Our Tennessee homeschool funding guide covers the EFS structure and eligibility in full.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program, the special education services provided through the public school end when you withdraw to home schooling. Tennessee districts may offer limited services to home schooling 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, so you understand what changes and what options remain.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Tennessee withdrawal starts with a choice, not a form. Decide whether you want the independent path through your district, which needs a parent with a high school diploma or GED and a notice to the director of schools, or the umbrella school path, which enrolls your child with a church-related school that carries the records. Once you have chosen, the withdrawal is a single clean step plus a note to your child's public school. Keep your notice or your umbrella enrollment documentation, and if state funding matters, read our Tennessee funding guide first, since the scholarship excludes independent home schoolers.
Our Tennessee homeschooling guide compares the paths in full, covers the required subjects and testing under each path, and walks through how diplomas and transcripts work at the high school level.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Withdraw My Child From Public School in Tennessee?
Choose your path first. On the independent path, file a notice with your local director of schools and notify the school. On the umbrella path, enroll your child with a church-related school and notify the school.
Do I Need a Diploma to Withdraw on the Independent Path in Tennessee?
Yes. The independent (LEA) path requires the teaching parent to hold a high school diploma or GED. The umbrella path sets its own requirements, which vary by organization.
Which Tennessee Home School Path Is Simpler to Withdraw On?
Many families find the umbrella school path simpler because the umbrella school carries the records and can help with a diploma. The independent path keeps you working directly with the district and requires the parent credential.
Does the Education Freedom Scholarship Change Withdrawal in Tennessee?
No, but it does not fund independent home schooling. Receiving those funds requires enrolling in a registered private school. See our Tennessee funding guide.
What Happens to My Child's IEP When I Withdraw in Tennessee?
Public school special education services end when you withdraw to home schooling. 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
Tennessee Department of Education: Home Schooling
Tennessee Code Annotated Section 49-6-3050
HSLDA: How to Comply with Tennessee's Homeschool Law