What You MUST Do BEFORE Withdrawing your child
Frequently, parents decide to teach their child at home after their child has already been enrolled in a public school (whether traditional campus or charter). This paper answers the question: “How do I withdraw my child from their current school?” This also applies to withdrawing from a private campus school.
*Note: This article is not a stand-alone document. It is a supplement to our paper Home Schooling In California – Legal Fact Sheet . Please read before reading any further and before taking action to withdraw your child as outlined below.
**This was written in consultation with HSLDA attorneys, but is not intended to be nor does it constitute the giving of legal advice.
Parents, whose children are currently enrolled in school, should follow the guidelines below before taking any action to withdraw their children from their current school:
Two Legal Alternatives for Private Homeschooling:
Once you have decided to “homeschool” your children, you will need to decide which private home school alternative you are going to use, parents will need to either:
Legal Option 1: Start Your own Private School
Establish a private school based in their own home for their own children, & file their own Private School Affidavit (P.S.A.).
Legal option 2: Join a P.s.p.
Enroll their children in a “Private School Satellite Program” (P.S.P.), which has filed an Affidavit. See step “C” below regarding filing the Private School Affidavit.
The Five Steps to Withdrawing Your Child(ren):
step 1. Avoid public officials
Do not talk to public school officials about your plans to teach your children at home.
STEP 2. Join HSLDA (Optional)
Join the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).
Call (540) 338-5600 to confirm membership BEFORE withdrawing your child(ren). We cannot recommend joining any other legal defense organization.
step 3. file the P.S.A.
If you are enrolling your child in a private school, which you have established in your own home (legal option #1 above), you must file a P.S.A.. However, if you enroll your children in a “Private School Satellite Program” (legal option #2 above), you will NOT file your own P.S.A. To understand how, visit our “Filing the P.S.A.” page.
step 4. Notify the School
Your child’s current school should be notified within one or two days of keeping your child at home during the current school’s regular days of required attendance.
- After 3 days of unauthorized absence:
- a pupil can legally be determined a truant.
- To avoid:
- a brief letter should be written to explain to the public school officials that you have enrolled your child in a private school located in California.
- HSLDA members will need to contact the HSLDA Legal Department for directions on how to do this. HSLDA provides a sample letter for their members.
step 5. Request Records
Request your child’s cumulative records file from the school where your child has been attending during this same first two days of keeping your child at home from their current school.
Writing a letter to request the student’s school records:
- If you enroll your children in a private school, which you have established in your own home (legal alternative #1 above), you will need to:
- Request your child’s cumulative records file.
- HSLDA members will also need to contact the HSLDA Legal Department for direction on how to do this.
- If you enroll your children in a “Private School Satellite Program” (legal alternative #2 above):
- the administrator or
- principal of that private school should request your child’s cumulative records file.
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