The Short Answer
To withdraw your child from public school in Virginia, file a Notice of Intent to provide home instruction with your division superintendent and notify the school. The Notice of Intent is due by August 15 for a standard year, or at least 30 days before you begin if mid-year. The notice shows how you meet one of four parent-qualification options: a baccalaureate degree, a teaching license, a program meeting the Standards of Learning, or evidence of ability to provide an adequate education. Keep a copy. After that you submit evidence of progress by August 1 each year, covered in the main guide. Compulsory age runs from 5 to 18. Confirm details at doe.virginia.gov.
Verified June 2026 against Virginia Code Section 22.1-254.1 and the Virginia Department of Education. Confirm current procedures at doe.virginia.gov before relying on this for legal decisions.
Virginia Withdrawal at a Glance
| Step 1: Pick a qualification | Degree, teaching license, an SOL-aligned program, or evidence of ability |
|---|---|
| Step 2: File the Notice of Intent | With your division superintendent, by August 15 or 30 days before a mid-year start |
| Step 3: Notify the school | Tell the school the child is withdrawn to home instruction |
| Step 4: Keep records | Save the Notice of Intent and your withdrawal notice |
| After withdrawal | Submit evidence of progress by August 1 each year |
| Compulsory age | 5 to 18 |
How Withdrawal Works in Virginia
Virginia runs home instruction through the school division on a notice basis. You file a Notice of Intent with your division superintendent, which establishes your home instruction and records how you qualify to teach. There is no approval vote; the division reviews the notice for completeness. Once it is on file with a valid qualification stated, your child is a home instruction student. Then you notify the school so attendance tracking stops.
The legal basis is Virginia Code Section 22.1-254.1. It gives parents the right to provide home instruction subject to annual notice and documentation requirements. Virginia does not specify required subjects or minimum instructional hours. What it does require is that the teaching parent meet one of four qualification standards and that the family submit evidence of the child's academic progress to the division superintendent each year.
Virginia's compulsory attendance age runs from 5 through 18. If your child is in that range and stops attending public school without a filed Notice of Intent, the division will follow up on attendance. Filing the notice before you stop attendance is the clean approach.
Step 1: Choose Your Qualification Option
Before you file the Notice of Intent, decide which of the four parent-qualification paths you meet. This matters because the notice references it. The four options under Virginia Code Section 22.1-254.1 are:
A baccalaureate degree. If the teaching parent holds any four-year college degree, you qualify under this path. The degree does not need to be in education.
A Virginia teaching license. If the teaching parent holds a current Virginia teaching license, that satisfies the qualification requirement independently of any degree requirement.
A curriculum or program meeting the Standards of Learning. If neither parent holds a baccalaureate degree or teaching license, you can qualify by using a curriculum or program that covers the content of the Virginia Standards of Learning for the relevant grade levels. Many widely available homeschool curricula satisfy this path.
Evidence of ability to provide an adequate education. This is the fourth option, available to families who do not fit the first three. It requires submitting evidence alongside the notice, such as credentials, letters, or other documentation showing ability. The division reviews what you submit.
All four qualification options and how to document them are covered in depth in the Virginia homeschooling guide. Before you start building your curriculum, the free reading assessment gives you a concrete baseline for where your child stands today.
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Step 2: File the Notice of Intent
File a written Notice of Intent to provide home instruction with the superintendent of your school division. For a standard year the deadline is August 15. For a mid-year withdrawal, you must file at least 30 days before you begin home instruction. That 30-day lead time is the planning point for mid-year families: set your start date, count back 30 days, and file by then.
The notice must include each child's name, age, and grade level, and a statement showing which parent qualification path you are using. If you are qualifying under the SOL-aligned curriculum option, be prepared to name the curriculum. If you are qualifying under the evidence-of-ability option, attach your supporting documentation to the notice.
Send the notice by certified mail with return receipt so you have a dated delivery record. Keep the receipt and a copy of the notice together. This document is the foundation of your home instruction for the year. Once it is on file and complete, the division's role is to receive it, not to approve it. The division cannot deny a home instruction program that meets one of the four qualification standards.
Step 3: Notify the School and Keep Records
With your Notice of Intent filed, send a brief written notice to your child's school building stating that the child is withdrawn to home instruction. This is separate from the notice you send to the division superintendent's office. The school needs to know so it updates its enrollment records and stops counting your child as attending. A short note with your child's name, the effective date of withdrawal, and that the child is now in a home instruction program is enough.
Keep this school withdrawal note with your Notice of Intent. Together they document the clean transfer from public school enrollment to home instruction. Request any school records you want at the same time: immunization records, report cards, and transcripts. These are much easier to collect at withdrawal than to track down later.
For a mid-year withdrawal, file the Notice of Intent first observing the 30-day lead, then notify the school. Filing before you stop attendance keeps your child continuously covered and avoids a gap where the child is neither enrolled in public school nor established in home instruction. The Guide covers building a teaching plan from scratch once the withdrawal is done.
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After Withdrawal and Special Education
Withdrawal is the start of Virginia's annual home instruction cycle, not the end. After filing the notice, you provide instruction through the year and then submit evidence of your child's academic progress to the division superintendent by August 1. Acceptable evidence includes a nationally normed standardized test result showing progress, a portfolio evaluation by a qualified evaluator, or other documentation showing the child has made academic progress. This annual evidence requirement is covered in full in the Virginia homeschooling guide. Knowing it is coming from the start of the year helps you plan what assessment method you will use.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program, the special education services provided through the public school end when you withdraw to home instruction. Virginia allows home instruction students with disabilities to access certain public school services on a voluntary basis, but the legal entitlement under federal law ends when your child leaves the public system. Contact the division's special education office before withdrawing if services are in place, so you understand what changes and what, if anything, may continue voluntarily.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Virginia is a notice state, so the work is front-loaded into the Notice of Intent. We would settle two things before filing: which of the four qualification options you are using, and your timing, since the notice is due by August 15 for a normal year or at least 30 days before a mid-year start. File the notice with your division, send a short note to your child's school, and keep copies of both.
Then put August 1 on next year's calendar for the evidence of progress. Handle the notice cleanly and the rest of Virginia's cycle, which our Virginia homeschooling guide covers, is steady.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Withdraw My Child From Public School in Virginia?
File a Notice of Intent to provide home instruction with your division superintendent and notify the school. The notice establishes your home instruction and records your qualification option.
When Is the Notice of Intent Due in Virginia?
By August 15 for a standard year, or at least 30 days before you begin if withdrawing mid-year.
How Do I Qualify to Teach in Virginia?
Through one of four options: a baccalaureate degree, a Virginia teaching license, a program meeting the Standards of Learning, or evidence of ability to provide an adequate education.
Do I Need Division Approval to Withdraw?
No approval vote is required. The division reviews your notice for completeness. Once it is on file with a valid qualification option, your home instruction is established.
What Happens After Withdrawal?
You submit annual evidence of progress to the division by August 1, such as a standardized test result or an evaluation. These ongoing steps are covered in our Virginia homeschooling guide.