Parents/guardians are required to notify their local Education Service District (ESD) of their intent to homeschool their student within 10 days of withdrawing the student from public/private school or within 10 days of the start of the school year when the student is 6 on or before September 1 before school starts. The notice of intent to homeschool your student exempts the student from full-time compulsory school attendance [ORS 339.030(1)(e); OAR 581-021-0076].
What information is required on the notice of intent?
According to OAR 581-021-0026(1)(f), the information required is:
(A) The child’s and the parent’s name, physical address (required; include mailing address if different), telephone number (optional), and e-mail address (optional); and
(B) The child’s birth date; and
(C) The name of the school the child is presently attending or last attended, or, if the child has not attended school, the name of the public school district in which the child resides.
At what age am I required to submit a notice of intent to homeschool my student?
Notice is required when a student is six years old on or before September 1st immediately preceding the beginning of the current school term. The student is assumed to be entering kindergartner unless the parent wishes to place the student in a higher grade. OAR 581-021-0026(1)(b). Ages and grades for homeschool students are: 6 = kindergarten, 7 = first grade etc.
How do I submit my notice of intent and receive confirmation?
Submit notification for your student using this portal; electronic notification is the same as written notification. You will receive an email immediately confirming receipt of notification. You may also log into the system and print the acknowledgment letter at any time. For paper notice of intent, print this form and mail it to Lane ESD at the address on the form. You will receive a mailed acknowledgment letter within 90 days.
I created an account and added my student’s information; is there more to homeschool notification?
No, notification for homeschool using the portal is that simple. There is no approval process, and your student is enrolled in homeschool immediately.
After submitting notification for my student, what is the next step?
Next, choose the curriculum to teach your student. In Oregon, parents/guardians have complete autonomy over what, when, and how to teach their student(s), as there are no academic standards for homeschooling in Oregon. See the curriculum section for more information.
Will Lane ESD notify the school that I have submitted notification to homeschool my student?
Parents/guardians must notify the previous school that they are homeschooling their student. As each school has a different process, contact the school for guidance. Per OAR 581-021-0026(4)(b), Lane ESD notifies school districts of homeschool students who reside within their boundaries at least once annually.
We want to enroll our student in public/private school. Whom do we notify?
While it is not required by law, Lane ESD greatly appreciates notification if you enroll your student in a public/private school. You can access the portal and change student status from ‘homeschool’ to ‘enrolled in public school,’ or you can email homeschool@lesd.k12.or.us. To enroll your student in public/private school, contact the school directly, as each school has a different process.
We have moved to a new ESD region. Whom do we notify?
Homeschool law requires families who move to a new ESD region to notify their initial ESD of the move. This can be accomplished by accessing the portal and changing status from “homeschool” to “moved.”
My student is enrolled in an online public/private or charter school and learns at home. Do I need to enroll my student for homeschool?
If your student attends an online school and the school program or teacher is teaching and grading the students’ work, that is considered “learning at home,” or “virtual learning,” and is not “homeschool.” Therefore, your student does not need to be enrolled in homeschool. True homeschool, according to Oregon law, occurs when the parents/guardians teach and grade students’ work.