Pennsylvania Homeschool Withdrawal Letter: What to Write and Send

If you've spent any time searching for a Pennsylvania homeschool withdrawal letter, you've probably noticed two things: there are templates everywhere, and they all look slightly different. Some include paragraphs of legal citations. Some are three sentences. Some reference forms that no longer exist.

Here's the issue. Pennsylvania does not have a withdrawal letter — it has an affidavit. These are not the same thing. Understanding the difference is the most important step before you write a single word.

The Affidavit Is the Legal Document

What Pennsylvania law requires under 24 PA C.S. §13-1327.1 is a notarized affidavit (or unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury) filed with the superintendent of your school district of residence. This is what establishes your home education program as legal. A standalone letter to the principal saying "we're homeschooling now" is not a substitute.

The affidavit must contain specific elements the statute enumerates. It is not flexible on this. Required components are:

• Your full legal name as the home education supervisor
• Your child's name and age
• The address and telephone number of the home education program site
• A formal assurance that instruction will be conducted in English
• An outline of proposed educational objectives by subject area
• Evidence of immunizations (or a valid exemption)
• Evidence of health and dental examinations at the required ages/grades
• Certification that no adult in the home has been convicted of specified criminal offenses within the past five years

The supervisor must hold a high school diploma or GED. There is no additional state-issued certification required.

An unsworn declaration is a legally equivalent alternative to notarization. It includes a statement that the signer declares the content true under penalty of perjury under Pennsylvania law. Many families use this option because it avoids the time and cost of finding a notary, while still carrying the same legal weight.

What the Educational Objectives Actually Need to Say

The objectives section stops more families cold than any other part of the affidavit. Parents assume they need a detailed daily schedule or a full curriculum plan. The law does not require that.

The statute calls for an "outline of proposed educational objectives" organized by subject area. Importantly, the law also states explicitly that this outline cannot be used by the superintendent to determine whether your program is out of compliance. It is a broad-strokes overview of what you intend to teach — nothing more.

A legally sufficient objectives section might read:

English Language Arts: Reading comprehension, writing mechanics, vocabulary development, literature study. Mathematics: Arithmetic operations, problem solving, measurement. Science: Earth and life science concepts, observation and inquiry. History/Social Studies: United States history, Pennsylvania history, geography, civics. Health and Physical Education: Nutrition, personal wellness, active movement. Music and Art: Music appreciation, visual arts exploration.

That is an acceptable educational objectives outline. It does not need page numbers, textbook titles, lesson plans, or daily breakdowns. The district cannot demand a more detailed version than this.

A Separate Cover Letter: Practical, Not Required

Alongside the affidavit, many families choose to send a brief cover letter addressed to the superintendent. This is not a legal requirement, but it is useful for two reasons. First, it gives you a natural place to state what you are doing in plain language — withdrawing from public school effective a specific date to establish a home education program under 24 PA C.S. §13-1327.1. Second, it creates a cleaner paper trail when the packet arrives at the district office.

A functional cover letter is short. It states:

• That you are notifying the district of your withdrawal from school effective [date]
• That you are establishing a home education program under PA law
• That the enclosed affidavit (or unsworn declaration) satisfies the statutory notification requirement
• Your contact information

Do not include anything beyond this. Do not ask for the district's permission. Do not request a response confirming approval. The district does not approve or deny home education in Pennsylvania. Your obligation is to file. Once filed, you are compliant.

How to Send It So There's No Question

This is where families lose leverage. Handing the affidavit to the school secretary and asking her to pass it along is not adequate documentation. If the district later claims they never received your paperwork — and some do, particularly in large urban districts — you have no evidence.

Send the complete packet — cover letter plus affidavit — by certified mail with return receipt requested, addressed directly to the superintendent of your school district of residence (not the building principal, not the guidance counselor). Keep your postal receipt. When the green return card arrives in your mailbox signed and dated, file it with your home education records. That card is proof of delivery.

If you prefer to hand-deliver, go to the superintendent's office and ask a staff member to date-stamp a copy of your affidavit as received while you watch. Do not leave without that stamped copy.

Some districts have tried to send automatic truancy letters to all homeschooling families — in at least one documented case, an administrator admitted this was done as a time-saving measure without verifying who had actually filed. A certified mail receipt makes it impossible for the district to claim you never submitted your paperwork.

After Filing: What You No Longer Need to Give Them

Once your affidavit is on file, many parents are surprised to learn how little access the district actually has to their program going forward.

Under Act 196 of 2014, your child's annual portfolio is reviewed solely by a privately hired evaluator — a certified teacher, licensed psychologist, or qualifying administrator. At the end of the year, only the evaluator's certification letter goes to the superintendent. The portfolio itself, your reading logs, your daily attendance records, your standardized test scores — none of that is submitted to the district. The superintendent receives a single page stating that an appropriate education occurred.

If your district sends a letter demanding you submit your portfolio to the district office, that demand is not legally valid under current Pennsylvania law. The pre-2014 process no longer applies.

The Pennsylvania Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes a ready-to-use affidavit template, an unsworn declaration version, a sample cover letter, and step-by-step certified mail instructions — everything organized so you can send a compliant packet the same day you decide to withdraw.

Key Points to Carry Forward

The withdrawal letter families are searching for is really a notarized affidavit with an educational objectives outline. It goes to the superintendent, not the school building. It travels certified mail, not through the front office. The objectives can be brief. The district reviews only the evaluator's certification letter at year-end, not your portfolio.

Get those basics right and Pennsylvania's infamous paperwork becomes much more manageable.

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