How to Start Homeschooling in Vermont

Required days

175 days/year

Required subjects

10 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)

Recordkeeping

Required

Jump to the full Vermont requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand Vermont's homeschool law

   Vermont has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must homeschool at least 175 days per year, and you'll file notice with the state Department of Education.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   In Vermont, the withdrawal step is tied to a state-level filing. Send a written withdrawal letter to your child's current school and file a notice of intent with the state Department of Education before you begin homeschool instruction. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, Vermont requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify the state Department of Education. The notice is filed again each school year.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   Vermont requires instruction in reading, writing, math, citizenship, literature, history, sciences, fine arts (under age 13), physical education (under age 13), and health (under age 13). Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   Vermont doesn't specify a minimum number of hours, but requires at least 175 days of instruction per year.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   Vermont requires an assessment of your child's academic progress at the end of each school year, under 16 V.S.A. § 166b. Since H.461 (2023) nothing is submitted to the Agency of Education. Families attest on the enrollment notice that they will assess and keep the record. Accepted forms are a standardized assessment, a review by a teacher with a current Vermont license, a parent report and portfolio with a summary of the year and at least four work samples, grades from an online academy or school, or passing the GED.

7. 7

   Track your hours and keep records

   Log activities as they happen so hours, attendance, and subject coverage build up automatically. Homeschool Fox lets you log from your phone or by voice and generates a Vermont-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free Vermont printables

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

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

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

Vermont tracks days, not hours. We suggest aiming for 900 hours/year as a personal target. Enter your end date to see the pace.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Vermont

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

• Days toward your 175-day goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• The records Vermont asks you to keep
• Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking

More Vermont guides

• Vermont Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Vermont Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Vermont What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in Vermont The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to Vermont What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in Vermont Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Days Required in Vermont The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in Vermont The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• Vermont Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• Homeschool Testing in Vermont What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.