Letter of Intent to Homeschool in Georgia: What to Include and How to File

Georgia requires parents to file a letter of intent — officially called a Declaration of Intent — before beginning to homeschool. Unlike states where notification is optional, Georgia treats this filing as a legal prerequisite. Filing it correctly protects you from truancy allegations. Filing it late or incorrectly leaves a gap that the school district can use against you.

This post covers exactly what goes in the letter, where it gets sent, and what you need to do when withdrawing a child from a Georgia public school at the same time.

What Georgia Law Requires

Under O.C.G.A. §20-2-690, parents who homeschool in Georgia must file a Declaration of Intent with the local school superintendent each year. The declaration must be filed:

• By September 1 each year for the upcoming school year
• Within 30 days of establishing a home study program if starting mid-year

The filing is annual. You cannot file once and consider yourself covered indefinitely — the declaration must be renewed each school year.

Georgia law also specifies what the declaration must contain.

Required Content: What the Letter Must Include

Georgia's statute specifies the required contents of the Declaration of Intent. Your letter must state:

1. The student's name, age, and grade level
2. The address of the home study program (your home address)
3. The name of the parent or guardian who will be providing instruction
4. A statement that the parent intends to provide a home study program meeting the requirements of O.C.G.A. §20-2-690
5. The length of the school year (Georgia requires at least 180 school days or 4.5 hours per school day — you confirm compliance with this)
6. The subjects that will be taught — Georgia requires home study programs to include reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science

You do not need to submit curriculum materials, teaching credentials, or a detailed educational plan. A clear statement that your program covers the required subjects is sufficient.

Where to Send the Letter

The declaration must be sent to the local school superintendent of the county or independent school system where you reside. It is not sent to the state Department of Education, the building principal, or any other office.

Find the superintendent's contact information on your county school system's website. If you are not sure which school system has jurisdiction over your address, the Georgia Department of Education's website maintains a county-by-county directory.

Delivery method: Send the letter by certified mail with return receipt requested. The signed green receipt is your legal proof that the declaration was received. Keep it permanently — it is your protection if truancy questions arise later.

Some parents choose to hand-deliver. If you hand-deliver, bring two copies and require a school office staff member to sign, date, and stamp "Received" on your copy before you leave. If they refuse to sign, note the date, time, and the name of the person who refused on your copy, then follow up with a certified mail copy.

Sample Georgia Declaration of Intent

Below is a basic template. Customize it with your specific information:

[Date]

[Superintendent's Name] [School System Name] [Address]

Dear Superintendent [Last Name]:

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §20-2-690, I hereby declare my intent to provide home study instruction for the following student(s):

• [Child's Full Name], Age [X], Grade [X]

Home study instruction will be provided at: [Your Home Address]

I, [Parent Name], will serve as the primary instructor. Our home study program will include instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science, for a minimum of 180 school days or 4.5 hours of instruction per school day.

I am withdrawing [Child's Name] from [School Name] effective [Date] and will be providing home study instruction pursuant to Georgia law.

Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), I request that [Child's Name]'s cumulative academic record, including grades, standardized test results, and health records, be transferred to me at the address above.

Sincerely, [Parent Name] [Address] [Phone] [Signature]

This letter accomplishes three things simultaneously: it files the Declaration of Intent, it formally withdraws the child from the public school, and it requests FERPA records transfer. Combining all three in one letter sent to the superintendent is the most efficient approach.

The Georgia Homeschool Program Requirements

Filing the declaration is just the first step. Once you begin homeschooling in Georgia, you must maintain compliance with O.C.G.A. §20-2-690:

Required subjects: Reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science — at minimum. Additional subjects are permitted and encouraged.

Instructional time: Georgia requires at least 180 school days per year, or 4.5 hours of instruction per school day. You can meet this through either standard (in 180 days) or a longer school day on fewer days.

Instructor qualifications: The parent must have at least a high school diploma or GED. No teaching certification is required.

Annual assessment: Georgia requires an annual assessment of the student's academic progress. Parents may choose between:

• A nationally normed standardized test (Iowa Assessment, Stanford Achievement Test, CAT, or similar)
• Evaluation by a certified teacher
• Portfolio assessment by a certified teacher
• An oral evaluation by a certified teacher

You do not submit the assessment results to the superintendent. You keep them in your home school records. The assessment is required, but the results stay with you.

Record-keeping: Georgia requires parents to maintain an attendance register and a record of academic progress. Keep these for at least three years.

Common Mistakes When Filing in Georgia

Filing with the building principal instead of the superintendent. The statute specifies the superintendent. Filing with the principal may or may not be forwarded correctly — send it to the superintendent directly.

Not filing annually. Many families forget to re-file in September for the new school year. Set a recurring reminder for August so you file before the September 1 deadline.

Using email without confirmation. If your school district accepts email submissions, get written confirmation from the superintendent's office that the declaration was received. Email without a read receipt or reply does not give you the same legal protection as certified mail.

Waiting until after the child stops attending. The declaration should be filed either before your child's last day of public school or at the same time you send the withdrawal. Filing it retroactively means there is a period where absences are not covered by the declaration.

Not requesting FERPA records. You have a legal right to copies of all of your child's school records — grades, test scores, health records, and any IEP or 504 documentation. Request them in writing in the same letter. The school must comply within 45 days.

What Happens After You File

Once the superintendent receives your Declaration of Intent:

• Your child's absence from public school is legally documented as home education, not truancy
• The school district processes the withdrawal from its enrollment records
• The district transfers the academic records you requested

You do not receive formal approval or a confirmation letter from the district. The absence of a response is normal — the district is not required to approve your declaration, only to receive it.

From that point, you are legally operating a home study program under O.C.G.A. §20-2-690. Your obligations going forward are teaching the required subjects, meeting the instructional time requirements, and conducting the annual assessment.

Georgia vs. Low-Regulation States Like Missouri

If you are comparing Georgia's requirements to what you know from a state like Missouri, the contrast is notable. Missouri requires no notification of any kind — parents simply withdraw their child and begin homeschooling under RSMo §167.031 with no declaration filed anywhere. Georgia's annual Declaration of Intent with the superintendent represents a meaningfully higher administrative requirement.

The tradeoff is that Georgia's declaration requirement also gives you cleaner legal documentation from day one. When you file and get your certified mail receipt, you have a clear record that your child's absence from public school is authorized home education.

For families in Missouri working through their withdrawal, the Missouri Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the Missouri-specific process — including the withdrawal letter citing RSMo §167.031, certified mail delivery, and the three-part record-keeping system required under Missouri law.

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