2026–2027 Homeschool Laws and Requirements
How to Homeschool in Ohio
Yes, you can homeschool your child in Ohio. You do not need a teaching license or a state-approved curriculum; you choose your materials and your schedule. Since October 2023 Ohio asks for one thing: a short notice to your school district's superintendent, once when you begin and then by August 30 each year.
Updated 9 October 2026 · Sources read 8 October to 9 October 2026
Free printable guide
The Ohio homeschool quick reference, 2026–2027
One page to keep: what Ohio requires, the dates, and the official links, checked for the 2026–2027 school year. Open it here first, then download it.
What Ohio homeschool law requires
The whole list for the 2026–2027 school year, from Ohio Revised Code section 3321.042 and the Department of Education and Workforce:
| Requirement | What Ohio asks | Where it says so |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | Written notice to the superintendent of the district you live in within five calendar days of starting home education, moving into a new district, or withdrawing your child from a school, and by August 30 each year after. The Department's one-page form carries your name and address, the child's name, and your assurance of the subject areas below. The superintendent acknowledges it in writing within fourteen days. | Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.042; ODEW's notification form |
| Subjects | English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government and social studies. | Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.042 |
| Hours, tests, teacher | No hour count, no test, no assessment, no portfolio, no curriculum approval and no teacher qualification. The older rules ended when House Bill 33 took effect on 3 October 2023, and the section says the department may adopt no rules under it. | Ohio Rev. Code § 3321.042 (H.B. 33, 2023) |
| Ages | Compulsory attendance from 6 to 18. A child returning to a public school is placed in the appropriate grade under the district's policies, without prejudice. | Ohio Rev. Code §§ 3321.01, 3321.042 |
How to start homeschooling in Ohio
- Send the Department's one-page notification form to the superintendent of the district you live in within five calendar days of starting home education, moving into a new district, or withdrawing your child from a school: your name and address, the child's name, and your assurance of the six subject areas. The superintendent acknowledges it in writing within fourteen days; keep that acknowledgment.
- Withdraw your child from the public school.
- Teach English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government and social studies. Faith Schooling covers the first two; you add the rest. Ohio approves no curriculum.
- Plan the year. Ohio counts no hours; the free Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan, which keeps six subject areas from becoming two.
- Send the notice again by August 30 each year. Nothing else is filed: no test, assessment or portfolio.
How Faith Schooling covers Ohio's requirements
Ohio sets no days or hours. A year of 36 weeks with four or five mornings a week is the common shape, and it is yours to set.
Ohio's notice is an assurance, in your own words, that your child will be taught the six subject areas. Faith Schooling's programs are the first two: Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden for English language arts, Building Number Sense for mathematics, each a sequenced textbook with a teaching guide, so the assurance you sign in August describes books that are on your table.
Ohio asks you to keep no records. Keep them anyway: the dated, finished pages of each program are your own record of the year, and they answer any question a school ever asks when a child moves between home and classroom.
- English language arts
- Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency and Grammar Garden reading in Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency; grammar, writing and composition in Grammar Garden
- Mathematics
- Building Number Sense K–5 mathematics textbooks; Kindergarten to Grade 2 add practice workbooks and teaching guides
- Science, history, government and social studies
- Your choice Faith Schooling does not publish these subjects; choose what fits your family
- Bible
- The Apostolic Academy not something Ohio requires; free: Scripture memory, Bible study and printables for the family
The curriculum map Phonics, Decoding, and Early Fluency Grammar Garden Building Number Sense HARVEST placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder
Financial assistance for Ohio homeschoolers
Ohio gives an income tax credit for home education expenses: the lesser of $250 multiplied by the number of your qualifying students (a student excused from compulsory attendance for home education under § 3321.042) or the expenses incurred, for books, supplementary materials, supplies, computer software, applications or subscriptions used directly for home education. Computers and similar devices are excluded. The section as amended took effect September 30, 2025.
- The credit equals the lesser of two hundred fifty dollars multiplied by the number of the taxpayer's qualifying students or the amount of education expenses incurred; a qualifying student is a student exempt from the compulsory attendance law for the purpose of home education under section 3321.042. Source: Ohio Revised Code § 5747.72 (effective September 30, 2025), read 9 October 2026.
- Education expenses include books, supplementary materials, supplies, computer software, applications or subscriptions used directly for home education, and exclude expenses or fees for computers or similar electronic devices or accessories. Source: Ohio Revised Code § 5747.72 (effective September 30, 2025), read 9 October 2026.
Ohio Revised Code § 5747.72, credit for home education expenses
What Ohio does not require, and you should still do
- Place your child first. Ohio ended its testing and assessment rules in 2023, so no one will measure where your child stands; HARVEST, the free placement check, does, and names the grade and quarter to start.
- Plan the year. Ohio counts no hours, but the Homeschool Rhythm Builder turns your week into a printable plan, and a plan is what keeps six subject areas from becoming two.
- Keep the acknowledgment and the pages. The superintendent's written acknowledgment is your proof of compliance; a dated stack of finished work is the record a school will want if your child ever returns.
HARVEST free placement Homeschool Rhythm Builder The Apostolic Academy
Common questions
- What is required to homeschool in Ohio?
- A written notice to your district superintendent within five days of starting and by August 30 each year after, and instruction in English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government and social studies. No hour count, test, assessment, portfolio, curriculum approval or teacher qualification.
- How do I start homeschooling in Ohio?
- Send the one-page notification form within five days, keep the superintendent's written acknowledgment, withdraw your child, and plan the six subjects.
- Are standardized tests required for Ohio homeschoolers?
- No. The older testing and assessment rules ended when House Bill 33 took effect on 3 October 2023, and the section says the department may adopt no rules under it.
- How many instructional hours does Ohio require?
- None. Ohio sets no hour or day count.
- Can I homeschool kindergarten in Ohio?
- Yes. Compulsory attendance runs from 6 to 18, so the notice is due from the year your child is six.
- What happens if my child returns to public school in Ohio?
- The district places the child in the appropriate grade under its policies, without prejudice.
Official Ohio homeschool resources
Read from the state's own pages for the 2026–2027 school year on the date shown. The Revised Code and your district superintendent's office are the final word; this page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice.
- Ohio Revised Code § 3321.042 — home education: the subject areas, the notice, the acknowledgment, grade placement (effective 3 October 2023) — checked 2026-10-08
- Ohio Department of Education and Workforce — home schooling, with the notification form (page updated 15 July 2025) — checked 2026-10-08
- Ohio Revised Code § 5747.72 — the home education expenses credit: $250 per qualifying student, the expenses that count, devices excluded (effective 30 September 2025) — checked 2026-10-09