How to Homeschool in Oregon: The Legal Requirements Under ORS 339.035

Most Oregon parents withdrawing from public school expect a complicated process. A letter to the principal, maybe a form from the district, possibly a meeting with an administrator. The reality is simpler than that — and understanding the difference matters, because schools sometimes make it seem harder than it is.

Oregon homeschooling is governed by ORS 339.035. It's a moderate-regulation state: you have a few real obligations, and a handful of things that look like requirements but aren't.

Who You Notify — and Who You Don't

The most common mistake Oregon parents make is notifying the school or the school district. That's not who the law requires you to contact.

Under ORS 339.035, you notify your Education Service District (ESD) — a regional agency separate from the school district. Oregon has 19 ESDs covering different geographic areas. If you're in Portland, that's Multnomah ESD. Eugene and Lane County fall under Lane ESD. Salem is Willamette ESD. Bend is High Desert ESD.

You can find your ESD through the Oregon Department of Education website, or by searching "[county] Education Service District Oregon."

The notification must be filed within 10 calendar days of withdrawal. It's a one-time filing — Oregon has no annual renewal requirement.

What the Notification Actually Requires

The law specifies five pieces of information:

1. Child's full name
2. Parent or guardian name
3. Home address
4. Child's date of birth
5. Name of last school attended

That's it. Many ESD online portals ask for additional information — phone number, email address, demographic data. These fields are optional. You're not legally required to provide them, and you can leave them blank or submit by mail if the portal makes them mandatory.

The notification is not an application. The ESD cannot deny your request to homeschool. They receive the notice; that's the extent of their role in your initial filing.

What Oregon Law Does Not Require

Oregon does not mandate:

• A specific curriculum or approved course list
• Daily instructional hour minimums
• Quarterly or annual progress reports
• Lesson plans or portfolio submissions (except in specific circumstances)
• Teacher certification for parents

This gives Oregon families significant flexibility compared to higher-regulation states like New York or Pennsylvania. You can use any curriculum — or no packaged curriculum — and structure your school day as you see fit.

The Testing Requirement

Oregon does require standardized testing, but not annually. Testing applies at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10.

Students must score at or above the 15th percentile composite on an approved standardized test. Approved options include:

• Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS)
• Stanford Achievement Test
• Terra Nova / CAT 3

Testing must be administered by a "qualified neutral person" — not a family member. Many co-ops, community organizations, and third-party testing services offer proctored testing. Costs typically run $57–$155 depending on the format and provider.

There's also an important grace period: new homeschoolers have 18 months after withdrawal before the first testing requirement kicks in. If your child isn't yet at a tested grade, you simply wait until they reach it.

If a child scores below the 15th percentile, the ESD may require retesting within one year. Only after three consecutive years of declining scores can the ESD superintendent take any intervention action. A single low score is not grounds for intervention.

For families with special needs students, Oregon offers an alternative: a Privately Developed Plan (PDP) under OAR 581-021-0029. The PDP is created with private service providers — therapists, tutors, educational specialists — and can replace the standardized testing requirement entirely.

Starting Mid-Year

The 10-day notification clock starts from the day you withdraw, not from the beginning of the school year. You can begin homeschooling at any point during the year. Some families withdraw in October; others pull their kids in February. The process is the same.

If your child is enrolled in a public school, formal withdrawal means notifying the school in writing that your child will no longer attend. This is separate from the ESD notification. Do both, and keep a copy of everything.

The Oregon Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the complete withdrawal process in detail — ESD notification templates, what to do if the district pushes back, and the exact steps for submitting everything correctly. Get the complete toolkit to start homeschooling with confidence.

Common Questions

Do I need to register with the state? No state registration is required. ESD notification is local, not a state-level filing.

Can the school district contact me after I withdraw? The district may reach out, typically to confirm the withdrawal. You are not required to provide additional information beyond what you've already submitted to the ESD. Redirect any school district inquiries to your ESD notification as confirmation of compliance.

What if we move? If you move to a different ESD's jurisdiction, you file a new notification with the new ESD within 10 days of establishing residency.

What about virtual charter schools? Virtual charters like Connections Academy and Metro East Web Academy are legally public schools — not homeschooling. Students enrolled in virtual charters do not file ESD notifications and are subject to state assessments rather than the homeschool testing requirement. Oregon also enforces a 3% enrollment cap on virtual charters. Independent homeschooling under ORS 339.035 has no such cap.

Can homeschoolers play public school sports? Yes. ORS 339.460 allows homeschooled students to participate in sports at their resident public school. This pathway requires annual standardized testing with a 23rd percentile threshold — higher than the 15th percentile academic requirement — and testing must be completed by August 15 each year.

Oregon's homeschool law is designed to be workable. One notification, testing at four grade levels, and flexibility on everything else. The legal framework isn't the hard part — knowing exactly how to execute it without giving districts more access than the law requires is where most families get tripped up.

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