Rhode Island Homeschool Letter of Intent: What to Include and How to Send It

The Letter of Intent is the single most important document in the Rhode Island homeschool approval process. Get it right and your school committee vote is a formality. Get it wrong — or leave it vague — and you can find yourself in a back-and-forth with your district that drags on for weeks while your child technically has unexcused absences accumulating.

Here is what the law requires, what committees actually look for, and what a strong LOI looks like.

Why Rhode Island Requires an LOI

Rhode Island operates under an approval-based homeschool statute (RIGL §16-19-1 through §16-19-3). Unlike states where parents simply notify the district and begin, Rhode Island parents must submit a program for school committee review. The LOI is how you describe that program.

The legal standard your program must meet is "thorough and efficient" instruction. That phrase does not have a precise statutory definition, which means different school committees across RI's 36 districts interpret it differently. A well-written LOI removes ambiguity and makes it easy for the committee to vote yes.

Who Receives the LOI

Send the LOI to the superintendent of your school district — not the principal, not the school board office, not the guidance counselor. The superintendent is the designated point of contact under the statute.

Send it by certified mail with return receipt. This creates a dated delivery record. You need this because:

1. You should begin homeschooling immediately after your child's last day of school, without waiting for committee approval.
2. If truancy ever becomes an issue, your certified mail receipt proves when your program was formally submitted.

Some parents also email a copy to create a digital timestamp, but the certified letter is the legally meaningful document.

What an LOI Must Cover

Rhode Island's required subjects are fixed by statute. Your LOI should address each of them:

• Reading and writing — Describe the program or method (e.g., "We will use All About Reading and daily composition practice.")
• Geography — Can be integrated into history or a standalone program.
• Arithmetic — Name the curriculum if you have one.
• United States and Rhode Island history — Both must be covered. RI history is explicitly required.
• Principles of American government — Covered as part of history or civic education.
• Health and physical education — PE can be documented through sports, outdoor time, or a physical activity log. Health can be folded into science or life skills.

Beyond the required subjects, your LOI should also state:

• Parent qualifications — No teaching certificate is required in Rhode Island, but briefly noting your educational background or experience is useful. "B.A. in English, 12 years professional writing experience" is more credible than leaving this blank.
• Instructional hours or days — Rhode Island requires 180 days of instruction. Saying your program provides 180 days per year shows you know the requirement.
• Assessment method — Indicate which annual evaluation you plan to use: standardized testing, a certified teacher evaluation, or a portfolio review.

A Sample LOI Structure

Below is a structural outline for a Rhode Island LOI. Fill in your specifics.

[Date]

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

Dear Superintendent [Last Name],

I am writing to notify you of my intent to provide home instruction for my child, [Child's Full Name], [grade], effective [start date], pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws §16-19-1.

Program Description

Our home instruction program will provide thorough and efficient education in all required subjects, including reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, United States and Rhode Island history, principles of American government, health, and physical education.

[1–2 sentences per subject describing your approach and curriculum materials.]

Instructional Schedule

Our program will provide a minimum of 180 days of instruction annually.

Parent Qualifications

[Brief statement of your background.]

Annual Assessment

We plan to fulfill the annual assessment requirement through [standardized testing / evaluation by a certified teacher / portfolio review].

Sincerely, [Your Full Name] [Your Address] [Phone and Email]

This is not a fill-in-the-blank template — it is a structural model. The specific curriculum details and subject descriptions should reflect your actual plan.

Common LOI Mistakes

Vague curriculum descriptions. "We will use age-appropriate materials" tells the committee nothing. Name the curriculum or describe the method specifically.

Missing Rhode Island history. Many parents cover U.S. history and forget that RI history is a separately required subject. Include it explicitly.

No assessment plan. Committees like to see that you have thought about the annual evaluation requirement. Name your method.

Sending to the wrong person. LOIs addressed to the principal get forwarded, but the delay is yours to deal with. Send to the superintendent.

Waiting for approval before starting. Submit the LOI, withdraw your child, and begin instruction on the same timeline. Do not leave a gap.

What Happens After You Submit

The superintendent forwards your LOI to the school committee, which votes at its next regular meeting. Most districts meet monthly. If everything is in order, approval is typically granted at that meeting without requiring your presence.

Some committees will ask questions or request additional information. Respond promptly and specifically. A follow-up letter that says "we plan to add Latin and logic to our curriculum" does not help — if they ask whether your RI history coverage includes local government, answer that specific question.

After approval, you will resubmit an annual report or updated LOI each year. The process gets faster once the committee knows your family.

If you want a complete LOI template written around Rhode Island law — along with the withdrawal letter, an annual compliance calendar, and instruction log — the Rhode Island Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes everything in one kit.

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