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 — within the statutory window for establishing a home study program and by September 1 each year. 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 Georgia Department of Education 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. The filing must state:

1. Each student's name and age
2. The address of the home study program (your home address)
3. The local school system in which the program is located
4. A statement that the school year will consist of twelve months

The home study program must separately provide instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science, and must meet Georgia's instructional-time and instructor-qualification requirements.

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 submitted to the Georgia Department of Education through its Declaration of Intent system. GaDOE makes a copy available to the local school system; it is not a filing with the building principal.

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: Use GaDOE's electronic Declaration of Intent system and save the confirmation. A separate withdrawal or records request to a school or district can use certified mail to document delivery, but certified mail is not the statutory method for filing the Declaration of Intent.

Do not treat a school-office receipt as a substitute for the GaDOE filing. If you send a separate school notice by mail or hand delivery, keep a copy and reliable delivery evidence.

Sample Georgia School Notice

The official Declaration of Intent is submitted through GaDOE's electronic system. The following is a separate notice to the child's school or district that can accompany the state filing:

[Date]

[Principal or District Attendance Office] [School or District Name] [Address]

Dear School or District Attendance Office:

I am notifying you that I am withdrawing the following student from public-school enrollment to provide home study instruction under O.C.G.A. §20-2-690:

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

The withdrawal is effective [Date]. I have submitted the required Declaration of Intent to the Georgia Department of Education.

Pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), I request access to and copies of [Child's Name]'s education records, including grades, standardized test results, health records, and any IEP or 504 documentation.

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

The Declaration of Intent and the school notice serve different purposes. The DOI is filed with GaDOE; the separate school or district notice handles withdrawal and the records request. FERPA access is generally due within a reasonable time and no more than 45 days after the request.

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 instruction equivalent to at least 180 school days in each 12-month period, with at least 4.5 hours of instruction per school day unless the child is physically unable to comply. These are linked requirements, not alternatives.

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

Progress assessment and testing: The instructor must prepare an annual written progress assessment report in each required subject and retain it for at least three years. In addition, the student must take a nationally standardized norm-referenced test at least every three years beginning at the end of grade 3; the results are retained rather than routinely submitted to the superintendent.

Record-keeping: Keep the annual progress reports and standardized-test records for at least three years.

Common Mistakes When Filing in Georgia

Filing with the building principal instead of GaDOE. The Declaration of Intent goes to the Georgia Department of Education through its electronic system; GaDOE makes a copy available to the local school system.

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 an unconfirmed filing channel. Submit the Declaration of Intent through GaDOE's electronic system and save the confirmation. Use a separate written notice to the school or district for withdrawal and records.

Waiting outside the statutory window. Submit the Declaration of Intent within 30 days after establishing the home study program and by September 1 each year. Separately notify the school or district when withdrawing an enrolled child.

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 GaDOE receives your Declaration of Intent:

• GaDOE records the filing and makes a copy available to the local school system
• The DOI does not require district approval
• You separately notify the school or district of the withdrawal and request records

Save the electronic confirmation from GaDOE. The local school system does not approve the DOI; it receives a copy. Handle enrollment withdrawal and FERPA requests separately with the school or district.

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 does not require state homeschool registration, but a parent withdrawing a public-school-enrolled child must give written notification under current RSMo §167.042, state intent to pursue other educational options under §167.031, and request prompt removal from the resident district's rolls. Georgia's annual Declaration of Intent with GaDOE 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 save the GaDOE confirmation, you have a clear record of the state filing; keep separate delivery evidence for the school withdrawal notice.

For families in Missouri working through their withdrawal, the Missouri Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the Missouri-specific process — including the written notification under RSMo §167.042, delivery documentation, and the three-part record-keeping system required under Missouri law.

See more Missouri guides →