Homeschooling in Connecticut.

Statute citation

Connecticut General Statutes (Conn. Gen. Stat.) § 10-184. Public Act 26-37, approved May 26, 2026, rewrites this section starting July 1, 2027.

Compulsory ages

Ages 5 to under 18, unless your child has graduated high school. You can delay school for a 5- or 6-year-old by signing an option form in person at your district office.

Legal basis today

Through June 30, 2027, you must be able to show your child is receiving "equivalent instruction" in the studies taught in public schools. The statute doesn't name homeschooling; it rests on this exemption.

Notification today

State law requires no notice. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) asks families to contact their district's central office. Its suggested notice of intent is filed within 10 days of starting, and the superintendent only acknowledges receipt.

Required subjects

Reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, and United States history and citizenship, including the town, state and federal governments. These stay the same under the new law.

Days and hours

No set number of days or hours. CSDE suggests keeping an attendance log of the days and hours you teach.

Assessment

None required by law. Some districts ask for a yearly portfolio review, but CSDE's procedures are suggestions, not legal requirements.

Records to keep

None required by law. CSDE suggests a portfolio for each child with work samples and any test results, an attendance log, and a log of books and materials used.

Parent qualifications

None. Connecticut sets no teaching credential for parents.

Leaving public school today

State law sets no homeschool withdrawal form right now. Contact your district's central office to ask how it handles withdrawal and notice.

Starting July 1, 2027

"Equivalent instruction" becomes "parent-managed learning," meaning education managed by a parent or guardian outside a public or nonpublic school. Required subjects don't change.

Withdrawing from 2027–28

You'll sign a withdrawal form in person at the district office. Within two business days, the district runs a Department of Children and Families (DCF) records check on adults 18 and older in your home and tells you the result within five business days.

About the records check

The withdrawal isn't final until the superintendent notifies you. If an adult in your home is on the state child abuse and neglect registry or under a current DCF investigation, it can't take effect, and the notice explains how to challenge the findings.

Yearly form from 2028–29

Starting in 2028–29, file an intent to educate form by October 1 each year with your town's school district office if your child turns 5 by September 1 or had an intent, withdrawal or option form the prior year. You may file electronically.

Moving into a district

From 2028–29, families who move into a Connecticut school district complete the intent to educate form within 14 days.