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 notifications. They file with the state through EdAccess, assume they are done, and never formally inform the school district. Or they contact the district first, get a response they do not know how to handle, and stall out before ever completing the state registration.

Delaware's dual-notification requirement is straightforward once you understand what each step actually involves — but the sequence matters, and each agency receives a different kind of notice.

Why Delaware Uses a Dual-Notification System

Delaware law classifies homeschools as nonpublic schools under 14 Delaware Code §2703A. As the operator of a nonpublic school, you have two legal relationships to establish: one with the Delaware Department of Education, which maintains records of all nonpublic schools operating in the state, and one with your local school district, which needs to know your child is no longer enrolled (or will not be enrolling) in a public school.

These are not the same thing, and neither agency speaks for the other. Registering with the state does not notify the district. Contacting the district does not create a record with the Department of Education. Both notifications must happen independently.

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 an approved alternative — including a registered nonpublic school. The dual notification 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 and register your nonpublic school 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.

Once your submission is complete, the Department of Education records your school in its nonpublic school database. You will receive a confirmation. That confirmation is worth saving — it is your documentation that the state has received your notification.

Step Two: The District Notification

After completing EdAccess, notify your local school district that your child is withdrawing from (or will not be enrolling in) the public school system and will instead be attending the nonpublic school you have registered.

Your district notification 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 notification 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 — a written notification meeting the above criteria fulfills Delaware's legal requirement.

What Happens After You Notify

For most Delaware families, the process ends here. The state records your nonpublic school, the district marks your child as enrolled elsewhere, and you begin homeschooling on your target date.

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 properly notified both the state and the district. If you receive a request that feels like a condition being placed on your withdrawal, the response is a polite written clarification that you have met all legal requirements under 14 Del. Code §2703A and that your child's enrollment in your registered nonpublic school is effective as of the date stated in your notification.

The 180-Day Requirement

Delaware's nonpublic school statute requires home-based schools to operate for at least 180 days per year. This is the same annual calendar requirement applied to public schools. There is no state mechanism that monitors or enforces this — you are not required to submit attendance logs to any agency.

The practical implication is that you should structure your school year to reach 180 days and maintain your own internal records. If a question ever arises — which is uncommon under Delaware's low-oversight framework — your records demonstrate compliance.

Subjects Required by Delaware Law

Delaware's statute names specific subjects that nonpublic schools must teach: English, mathematics, science, social studies, health, and physical education. 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 re-registration, standardized testing, assessment by a certified teacher, or portfolio submission. Once your nonpublic school is registered with the state and your district has been notified, your ongoing legal obligations are essentially:

• Continue operating for 180 days per year
• 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 dual-notification process. The timing introduces one additional consideration: many public schools have attendance policies that treat an unexplained absence during enrollment as truancy until the district receives formal notification of the withdrawal. This makes the written district notification especially important for mid-year transitions — you want it on file 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 both notifications — including template letters for each agency, the exact information each portal requires, 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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