Wisconsin Homeschool Affidavit: Why Wisconsin Uses the PI-1206 Instead

Parents researching how to legally start homeschooling in Wisconsin often search for a "homeschool affidavit" because that is the term used in several other states — notably Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Utah. In those states, parents file a sworn affidavit directly with their school district or a state agency to declare their intent to homeschool.

Wisconsin does not use this system. There is no homeschool affidavit to fill out. There is no sworn statement to submit to your school district. Instead, Wisconsin uses the PI-1206 Homeschool Enrollment Report, filed directly with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction through an online portal called HOMER.

If you have been searching for a Wisconsin homeschool affidavit template and not finding one, that is why — the document you need goes by a different name, and it is filed at the state level, not the district level.

What the PI-1206 Is and Why It Functions Like an Affidavit

The PI-1206 is formally titled the Homeschool Enrollment Report, but the Wisconsin Homeschooling Parents Association and the DPI itself frequently describe it as an affidavit in plain-language guidance — because that is functionally what it is.

When you file the PI-1206, you are not applying for permission to homeschool. You are making a legal declaration: that you are operating a home-based private educational program under Wis. Stat. § 118.165, that your program meets the statutory requirements, and that your child is enrolled in it. The state does not review the form to decide whether to approve your program. The act of filing is the legal establishment of the program.

That distinction — declaration rather than application — is meaningful. It means the school district cannot deny your withdrawal on the grounds that your curriculum is not approved or that you lack teaching credentials. Once the PI-1206 is filed, your child is legally enrolled in a private educational program. The district has no say in that determination.

The Three Things the PI-1206 Requires

The form is straightforward. Unlike some states' affidavits, which require detailed descriptions of your educational philosophy or curriculum plan, the PI-1206 asks for minimal information:

Parent or guardian contact information. Your name, address, phone number, and email.

Enrollment headcount. The number of children aged 6 to 18 enrolled in your home-based private educational program, broken down by elementary and high school grade levels. This count should reflect enrollment as of the third Friday in September.

Declaration of compliance. By submitting the form, you are affirming that your program meets the requirements of § 118.165: at least 875 hours of instruction annually, a sequentially progressive curriculum covering reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health, and that the program is privately controlled rather than operated under public oversight.

That is the full scope of what the state requires. You do not attach your curriculum. You do not submit lesson plans. You do not include your teaching background. The DPI has no authority to request any of that information.

Filing Deadlines and the Third Friday Rule

The annual filing deadline is October 15. But the deadline is only half of the timing equation.

Wisconsin law specifies that the PI-1206 should reflect enrollment as of the third Friday in September. This is the official enrollment headcount date. If you file the PI-1206 before the third Friday in September, you are technically filing a report that does not yet reflect the mandated count date.

In practice, the WHPA advises families who are beginning homeschooling in the fall to wait until the third Friday in September has passed before filing — then file anytime between that date and October 15. This ensures strict compliance with the letter of the statute.

Mid-year withdrawals operate under a different rule. If you are withdrawing your child from school during the academic year rather than at the start, you cannot wait until October to file. You must file the PI-1206 on or before the date your child stops attending school. There should be no gap between the day your child leaves the building and the date your PI-1206 is submitted. This is the rule that prevents truancy findings during the transition.

What Happens If You Miss the Filing Window

If you are withdrawing mid-year and file the PI-1206 after your child has already missed school days, you are operating in a legal gray zone. The school's attendance records will show unexcused absences for the days between your child's last attendance and your filing date.

If you receive an attendance warning before October 15, the appropriate response is to inform the attendance officer that your child is receiving instruction in a home-based program and that you will be filing the PI-1206 by the deadline. If the contact comes after you have already filed, present the filing confirmation immediately. A filed PI-1206 is the definitive legal defense against a truancy finding.

In cases where a school district escalates aggressively — threatening formal truancy charges or involving law enforcement — a printed copy of the PI-1206 confirmation alongside a certified-mail receipt for your withdrawal letter is almost universally sufficient to close the matter. The law is clear and the documentation is straightforward.

The One-Family-Unit Rule

One aspect of Wisconsin's homeschool law that surprises many parents: the PI-1206 covers a single family unit only. Wis. Stat. § 115.001(3g) explicitly states that an instructional program provided to more than one family unit does not constitute a home-based private educational program.

This means you cannot file a PI-1206 and use it to cover a co-op arrangement where children from multiple families receive their primary instruction together in someone's home. If you host other families' children for regular core academic instruction, you are operating an unapproved private school under Wisconsin law, not a home-based private educational program.

Shared enrichment activities — museum trips, weekly co-op classes for supplemental subjects, sports teams — are not affected by this rule. The restriction applies to the core instructional program that satisfies your child's compulsory attendance requirement, not to every learning activity your child participates in.

After You File: What to Keep

Print or download a copy of your PI-1206 confirmation immediately after filing. The DPI retains records for only seven years. If your child applies to a university that verifies homeschool legal status — and UW-Madison does — they will need PI-1206 records going back to when your child was school age. A lapse in documentation requires explanations that are difficult to produce retroactively.

Keep a permanent file with a copy of every PI-1206 you file, your withdrawal letter and its delivery confirmation, and any correspondence with your school district during the withdrawal process.

The Wisconsin Legal Withdrawal Blueprint covers the full PI-1206 filing procedure, the exact timing rules for both fall and mid-year withdrawals, and the documentation system you need to maintain from day one through college admissions.

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