Homeschool Notice of Intent in Delaware: The EdAccess Registration Explained

Most states that require a homeschool notice of intent use a paper form or a letter mailed to the district superintendent. Delaware does things differently. The state's registration process runs through an online portal called EdAccess, and there is also a separate school withdrawal step that most first-time homeschoolers do not know about. Miss either one and your child may still appear enrolled — and absent — in the public school system.

If you are pulling your child out of public school in Delaware, this post explains exactly what notice you need to file, where you file it, and in what order.

What Delaware Law Requires

Under 14 Del. Code §2703A, Delaware homeschools operate as nonpublic schools. That legal classification gives you significant freedom: no state-approved curriculum, no portfolio reviews, no standardized testing requirements, and no annual inspection of your home. But it does require you to formally establish your homeschool as a nonpublic school in the state's records.

That establishment and withdrawal happen through two separate steps:

1. EdAccess portal registration — This is the state-level step. EdAccess is Delaware's online system for registering nonpublic schools. Create the account, register the nonpublic school, enroll your student, and wait for the official Acknowledgment Letter. That letter is the state record and proof that your child is enrolled in a recognized nonpublic school.

2. School withdrawal notice — This is the local step. After receiving the Acknowledgment Letter, present a printed copy with written withdrawal notice to your child's current public, private, or charter school administration so it can process the withdrawal.

Both steps are required. Completing only the EdAccess filing without presenting the Acknowledgment Letter to the current school leaves the withdrawal incomplete.

Why the Two-Step Process Exists

Delaware's nonpublic school framework treats homeschools the same as private schools — as separate institutions that happen to be parent-run. When you register on EdAccess, you are telling the state that your nonpublic school exists. When you present the Acknowledgment Letter to the current school, you are documenting that this specific student is transferring to that nonpublic school.

Public school attendance systems track students separately from the state registration. A current school will not automatically complete a withdrawal just because EdAccess shows a nonpublic school registration. This is why families who file on EdAccess but forget to obtain the Acknowledgment Letter and present it with the withdrawal notice still receive truancy notices — the state filing exists, but the school's system may still show an absent enrolled student.

How to File on EdAccess

The EdAccess portal is accessible through the Delaware Department of Education website. You will create or log in to an account, then register your homeschool as a nonpublic school. The information you will typically need to provide includes:

• The name of your nonpublic school (you choose this — "Smith Family Academy" or similar is common)
• The name and contact information of the school administrator (that is you, as the parent-teacher)
• The grade levels you are serving
• The names of students enrolled

After DDOE processes the submission, save and print the official Acknowledgment Letter. Keep it in a physical or digital file you can retrieve quickly, because you will present it to the current school.

There is no filing fee. Delaware does not charge families to register a nonpublic school through EdAccess.

How to Notify the School

The school withdrawal step is less formalized than the EdAccess registration, but it is equally important. At minimum, you need a written notice and the Acknowledgment Letter for the school your child currently attends.

Your written withdrawal should include:

• Your child's full name and date of birth
• The school they are currently enrolled in
• The effective date of withdrawal
• A statement that your child will be enrolled in your nonpublic homeschool
• Your EdAccess Acknowledgment Letter and registration date

Some districts have their own withdrawal forms; others accept a simple letter. Call the attendance office or registrar at your child's school to ask what their preferred process is. Whether you use a form or a letter, get written confirmation — an email reply, a date-stamped receipt, or a signed copy of your letter.

Timing: When to File

Complete the EdAccess registration and obtain the Acknowledgment Letter before presenting the withdrawal notice to the current school. Filing after the fact invites a truancy notice for the days in between.

If you are pulling your child out mid-year, act quickly. More than three unexcused absences can trigger a truancy classification, and the automated notice system does not know to wait while you complete paperwork.

What Happens After You File

Once both steps are complete, your obligations under Delaware law are straightforward. Nonpublic schools submit an aggregate attendance report to DDOE between June 1 and July 31, but DDOE does not require a specific minimum number of instructional days or a daily attendance log. There is no requirement to submit lesson plans for approval or have your child tested by anyone outside your household.

After processing, EdAccess generates an official Acknowledgment Letter. Save and print it, then present it to the current school; do not treat the initial filing alone as completion of the withdrawal sequence.

You are also responsible for maintaining useful internal records. DDOE does not collect daily logs, but it does collect the annual aggregate attendance report.

Annual Renewals

Delaware requires nonpublic schools to report initial enrollment by September 30 each academic year. In practice, update your enrollment information at the start of each school year rather than re-filing from scratch. Log in to EdAccess each fall to confirm your student roster and school information is current.

The school withdrawal is a one-time event — once your child is officially withdrawn from the public school, you do not need to repeat that withdrawal unless your child re-enrolls and withdraws again.

Common Mistakes That Trigger Truancy Notices

The families who end up receiving truancy letters in Delaware almost always made one of three errors:

Only notifying the school, skipping EdAccess. The school may mark the child as withdrawn, but there is no state nonpublic school record. This creates a documentation gap if any compliance question arises later.

Only filing on EdAccess, skipping the Acknowledgment Letter and school presentation. This is the most common mistake. The state filing exists, but the current school's attendance system may still show an enrolled, absent student. Truancy notices follow.

Withdrawing verbally without written documentation. A conversation with a teacher or principal does not constitute a formal withdrawal. The school's attendance system requires a written record to process a withdrawal. Verbal notice leaves no paper trail and the child remains enrolled in the system.

Getting the Process Right

Delaware's homeschool notice of intent process is genuinely straightforward compared to states that require curriculum submissions, testing arrangements, or annual portfolio reviews. But it is a two-step process, and both steps need to happen correctly, in writing, with documentation you keep.

The Delaware Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the full registration-then-withdrawal process in detail — the exact EdAccess steps, what to include in your school withdrawal letter, how to use the Acknowledgment Letter, how to create a compliance file that protects you if any questions arise later, and what to do if the school or district pushes back. Delaware's system works in your favor once you understand how the two pieces fit together.

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