Vermont Homeschool Letter of Intent

Vermont requires written notice of your intent to homeschool, filed with the state Department of Education. It's due 10 business days before starting homeschooling, then annually. You are notifying the office, not applying to it. No approval is required, and most families never hear back.

Notice

Required

File with

State Department Of Education

Due

10 business days before starting homeschooling, then annually

Generate your Vermont 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 Vermont 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. Vermont'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 Vermont 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, 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.

Most Vermont 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 Vermont the notice goes to the state Department of Education. 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.

Vermont sets a deadline of 10 business days before starting homeschooling, then annually. 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 Vermont expects you to track, starting the day you file saves you from backfilling months later. Homeschool Fox sets up your Vermont targets during signup, so the first day you teach is the first day that counts.

Common mistakes in Vermont

• Filing once and stopping

  Vermont's enrollment notice is annual, due 10 business days before you start each year. The first one feels like the hard part, and the ones after it are what families let slide.

• Writing a curriculum outline nobody collects

  Vermont stopped collecting the subject-by-subject minimum course of study on July 1, 2023, when H.461 replaced it with an attestation. The Agency of Education says families "are no longer required to submit an MCOS" and that the August 1 deadline for it is gone. Attest on the notice, teach the course of study, and keep your own plan for your own use.

Reporting calendar

Vermont 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 Vermont deadline and builds the reports you file. Start tracking free.

What this looks like in Homeschool Fox

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

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.

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

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

• Vermont Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• How to Start Homeschooling in Vermont A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
• 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.
• Homeschool Testing in Vermont What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.