New York Homeschool Letter of Intent

New York requires written notice of your intent to homeschool, filed with your local school district. It's due July 1 (for next school year). You are notifying the office, not applying to it. No approval is required, and most families never hear back.

Notice

Required

File with

Local School District

Due

July 1 (for next school year)

Generate your New York letter

Fill in your details and copy or print a ready-to-send letter. Nothing is saved and no account is needed.

What goes in the letter

Keep it short and complete. These are the pieces New York offices look for.

1. 1

   Parent or guardian name and mailing address

   The address you want any reply sent to.

2. 2

   Each child's name

   Each child of compulsory school age. New York's range is 6-16.

3. 3

   The date your school year starts

   Use the date instruction begins at home. Families often put the date they wrote the letter here by mistake.

4. 4

   A plain statement of intent

   One sentence saying you're providing home instruction under New York law. Anything more elaborate gives the office more to respond to.

5. 5

   Your signature and the date

   Sign it, date it, and keep a copy of the signed version.

Yes, New York requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district. The notice is filed again each school year.

Most New York notices are short: your name and address, each child's name, the date instruction starts, and one sentence stating that you're providing home instruction under state law. Resist the urge to add curriculum plans, philosophy, or credentials unless the state asks for them. A longer letter gives an office more to respond to and nothing to gain.

In New York the notice goes to your local school district. Call the office first and ask who the letter should be addressed to and whether they take email. Two minutes on the phone keeps your letter out of the wrong inbox and gives you a name to reference if anything comes back.

New York sets a deadline of July 1 (for next school year). Filing ahead of it carries no penalty. Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt for a couple of dollars. If you send it by email, keep the sent message and ask the office to confirm receipt.

Save what you sent along with the date. If the district ever raises a question about attendance, a dated copy of your notice is what closes it in one email.

The notice is a one-day job. The records run all year. Whatever New York expects you to track, starting the day you file saves you from backfilling months later. Homeschool Fox sets up your New York targets during signup, so the first day you teach is the first day that counts.

Common mistakes in New York

• Filing the notice of intent late

  Notice is due by July 1 for the school year ahead. If you start mid-year or move into a district after the year begins, notice is due within 14 days of starting. The district then has 10 business days to send the IHIP form, and your four weeks to return it start when the form arrives.

Reporting calendar

New York homeschoolers file on this schedule. Put each date on your calendar. Missing one can put you out of compliance.

Homeschool Fox reminds you before each New York deadline and builds the reports you file. Start tracking free.

What this looks like in Homeschool Fox

Signed-in families can regenerate the New York notice any year from details already on file, and Homeschool Fox reminds you before the deadline comes back around.

Free New York printables

Three ready-to-use PDFs for New York homeschoolers. No account needed.

Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for New York

The records New York asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 900-hour goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• The records New York asks you to keep
• Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking

More New York guides

Comparing states? See how all 36 states that require notice compare.

• New York Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• How to Start Homeschooling in New York A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
• Homeschooling High School in New York Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in New York What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in New York The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to New York What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in New York Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in New York The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in New York The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• New York Quarterly Reports What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• Homeschool Testing in New York What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.
• Homeschool Field Trips in New York City Places to go, how long a visit takes, and what it counts toward.