Delaware Homeschool Registration: The EdAccess Dual-Notification Process

The most common mistake Delaware families make when starting homeschool is completing only one of the two required steps. They file with the state through EdAccess, assume they are done, and never present the resulting Acknowledgment Letter to the current school. Or they contact the school first, get a response they do not know how to handle, and stall out before ever completing the state registration.

Delaware's two-part registration-and-withdrawal process is straightforward once you understand what each step actually involves — but the sequence matters, and the state and current school receive different documentation.

Why Delaware Uses a Two-Step Registration-and-Withdrawal System

Delaware law classifies homeschools as nonpublic schools under 14 Delaware Code §2703A. As the operator of a nonpublic school, you have two procedural relationships to establish: one with the Delaware Department of Education, which maintains records of nonpublic schools operating in the state, and one with your child's current school or district administration, which processes the withdrawal.

These are not the same thing, and neither step substitutes for the other. Registering with the state does not complete the current-school withdrawal. Contacting the school does not create a record with the Department of Education. Both steps must happen in order.

This system exists because Delaware's compulsory attendance law requires every school-age child to be either enrolled in a public school or documented as attending a recognized educational institution — including a registered nonpublic school. The two-step process is the mechanism that closes the loop.

Step One: The EdAccess Submission

EdAccess is the Delaware Department of Education's portal for nonpublic school registration. Your first action is to create an account, complete multi-factor authentication, register your nonpublic school, and enroll your student there.

What you will need for the EdAccess registration:

• A name for your nonpublic school (your home address works, but many families choose a formal-sounding name)
• The name and address of the principal or administrator (you, as the parent operating the school)
• The grade levels you will be serving
• The number of students enrolled (your child or children)
• Your contact information

The portal is not complicated, but first-time users sometimes get confused by language that was written for traditional private schools. When it asks for "school address," use your home address. When it asks about "accreditation," you can note that the school is not seeking state accreditation — nonpublic homeschools in Delaware are not required to hold accreditation.

After DDOE processes the submission, EdAccess generates an official Acknowledgment Letter. Print and save it — it is the document you present to the current school to complete the withdrawal.

Step Two: The School Withdrawal

After EdAccess processes the registration and issues the Acknowledgment Letter, present a printed copy with written withdrawal notice to your child's current public, private, or charter school administration.

Your written withdrawal notice should include:

• Your child's full name and date of birth
• Your home address
• The name of the nonpublic school you have registered with the state
• A statement that the enrollment is effective on a specific date
• Your contact information

You do not need to explain your reasons for homeschooling. You do not need to provide curriculum details, teaching credentials, or a schedule. The notification is informational, not a request for approval.

Send your notice and a copy of the Acknowledgment Letter in writing, not over the phone. Email with a request for read receipt, or certified mail, creates a paper trail. If a district office employee asks you to come in for a meeting or to provide additional documentation, you are not required to do so merely to complete the withdrawal sequence.

What Happens After You Notify

For most Delaware families, the process ends here. The state has recorded your nonpublic school, and the current school processes the withdrawal based on the Acknowledgment Letter and written notice.

A small number of families encounter friction — typically from districts that are unfamiliar with Delaware's nonpublic school statute or that have developed informal policies that go beyond what the law requires. Common examples include requests for:

• Copies of your curriculum or teaching materials
• Evidence of your own educational credentials
• An in-person meeting before acknowledging the withdrawal
• Periodic progress reports to the district

None of these are required by Delaware law. Title 14 §2703A does not authorize school districts to impose additional conditions on families who have completed the EdAccess registration and presented the Acknowledgment Letter. If you receive a request that feels like a condition being placed on your withdrawal, respond in writing that the state registration and Acknowledgment Letter have been completed and ask the school to process the withdrawal.

Annual Attendance Reporting

Delaware does not require a specific minimum number of instructional days for nonpublic schools. It does require an aggregate end-of-year attendance report to DDOE between June 1 and July 31; DDOE does not collect daily attendance logs.

The practical implication is that you should maintain useful internal records so you can compile the aggregate report. A calendar or simple spreadsheet is enough; the state does not prescribe a daily-log format.

Subjects Required by Delaware Law

Delaware's statute calls for regular and thorough instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. The state does not specify how these subjects must be taught, what materials must be used, or how much time must be allocated to each.

You choose the curriculum. You set the schedule. The state's interest ends at confirming that these subject areas are present in your program in some form.

Ongoing Requirements Are Minimal

Unlike several neighboring states, Delaware does not require annual approval, standardized testing, assessment by a certified teacher, or portfolio submission. Once your nonpublic school is registered with the state and the current school has processed the withdrawal, your ongoing legal obligations are essentially:

• Report initial student enrollment by September 30 each academic year
• Submit the aggregate attendance report between June 1 and July 31
• Teach the required subject areas
• Update EdAccess if your enrollment numbers change significantly or if you move

Many families who have homeschooled in more demanding states — Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland all have considerably more paperwork-intensive systems — are genuinely surprised by how undemanding Delaware's ongoing requirements are.

When You Move Within Delaware

If you relocate within Delaware, you may need to update your EdAccess registration with the new address and notify your new school district. Whether you need to formally re-register with the state depends on whether you consider the move to constitute a new nonpublic school or a change of address for an existing one. In practice, most families update their EdAccess profile and send a brief notification to the new district referencing their existing state registration.

When You Withdraw Mid-Year

Withdrawing a child from public school mid-year requires the same EdAccess-first process. The timing introduces one additional consideration: many public schools have attendance policies that treat an unexplained absence during enrollment as truancy until the school receives the Acknowledgment Letter and formal withdrawal notice. Complete those steps promptly so the school can close out your child's attendance record cleanly.

Getting the Process Right the First Time

Delaware's registration process is genuinely manageable. The challenge most families face is not complexity — it is uncertainty. Not knowing exactly what each agency needs, how to handle a district that pushes back, or whether a particular request is legally required versus optional.

The Delaware Legal Withdrawal Blueprint provides a complete walkthrough of the registration-then-withdrawal sequence — including the EdAccess steps, the Acknowledgment Letter, the school withdrawal notice, and scripts for responding to common district questions and requests. If you want to move through the process without second-guessing each step, it is worth reviewing before you start.

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