Vermont Homeschool Laws and Requirements
Aug 14, 2026Vermont simplified home study in 2023, and the current process is far lighter than what older websites describe. You file an enrollment notice with the Agency of Education at least 10 business days before you intend to begin, wait for written acknowledgment, and then start. You no longer submit a minimum course of study, a curriculum outline, or an end of year assessment. You attest to them and keep the records yourself.
Last Reviewed: August 15, 2026. Reviewed by the Modern Homeschools Editorial Team. Next scheduled review: August 15, 2027.
Vermont Homeschool Requirements at a Glance
| Topic | What applies in Vermont |
|---|---|
| Compulsory attendance ages | Vermont's compulsory attendance provisions apply to school age children, and home study is one of the recognized ways to meet them. Confirm the current age range with the Agency of Education |
| Notification or registration | An enrollment notice sent to the Agency of Education at least 10 business days before you commence home study, repeated annually before the start of each following year |
| Legal pathway or homeschool definition | Home study enrollment under 16 V.S.A. section 166b |
| Parent or instructor qualifications | None stated in the enrollment requirements |
| Required subjects | The minimum course of study in section 906. For a child under 13 that is the full list; for an older student the statute points to basic communication skills, citizenship and history and government, literature, and the natural sciences |
| Instructional time | You attest that your program is equivalent to at least 175 instructional days |
| Testing or evaluation | An annual assessment is attested to and its record kept by the family. It is no longer submitted to the Agency of Education |
| Required records | Your minimum course of study and your assessment records, maintained at home rather than filed |
| Responsible government agency | The Vermont Agency of Education receives the enrollment notice and issues the written acknowledgment. Your school district handles withdrawal |
What Changed in 2023
Vermont's home study law was substantially simplified by legislation signed in June 2023 and effective that July. If a website tells you to mail in a curriculum packet, it is describing the old system.
Families are no longer required to submit a minimum course of study to the agency. Curriculum outlines and course descriptions are no longer submitted. End of year assessments are no longer submitted either. What replaced all of that is an attestation on the enrollment form, plus your own recordkeeping.
The obligations themselves did not disappear. You still develop a minimum course of study equivalent to at least 175 instructional days, you still have your child assessed annually, and you still keep those records. What changed is who holds the paperwork.
Filing, Acknowledgment, and Timing
Enrollment notice forms are submitted to the agency at least 10 business days before your intended start date, and the same 10 business day rule applies to the annual notice for later years.
A first time enrollment includes the notice of intent plus either a Vermont public school report card or an independent professional evidence form where a disability is involved. A returning family files only the annual notice.
The agency provides written acknowledgment within 10 business days of receiving a complete form. That acknowledgment verifies your enrollment; it is not a separate approval you have to win. Once you receive it, you may withdraw your student from school and begin home study.
How to Start Homeschooling in Vermont
- Count backward 10 business days. File the enrollment notice before that window closes on your intended start date.
- Gather what a first year filing needs. The notice of intent, plus a report card or the independent professional evidence form if it applies to your child.
- Develop your minimum course of study. Build it around section 906 and a program equivalent to at least 175 instructional days.
- Wait for the written acknowledgment. Then withdraw from school and begin.
- Plan the annual assessment and keep the record. Nothing is mailed in, so your file is the only copy.
Official Vermont Homeschool Resources
- Vermont Agency of Education, Home Study
- 16 V.S.A. section 166b, home study programs
- 16 V.S.A. section 906, minimum course of study
Beginning Your Homeschool Journey?
Your First 30 Days of Homeschooling provides a practical path for establishing your priorities, planning your next steps, and creating a rhythm that works for your family.
Modern Homeschools provides educational information to help families understand and navigate homeschooling requirements. Because requirements may change, families should confirm current details with the official state sources linked within this guide.