How to Withdraw from Public School in Wisconsin to Homeschool

Withdrawing from public school in Wisconsin is simpler than most districts want you to think. You do not need the school's permission. You do not need to complete any district forms before you leave. You do not need to wait for a meeting with the principal or the IEP team. You need to notify the school in writing that your child will be receiving home-based private educational instruction, and you need to file the PI-1206 form with the Wisconsin DPI within the annual filing window.

That's the process. Here's how to do it without creating problems.

Step 1: Decide When You're Withdrawing

Wisconsin law allows you to begin homeschooling at any point in the year. There's no requirement to wait until the end of a semester or school year. If you're pulling your child mid-year, you can start as soon as you've notified the school.

The compulsory attendance law requires children ages 6-18 to be in school or a qualifying educational program. Once you withdraw from public school, your PI-1206 filing is what documents your child's compliance. During the gap between withdrawal and filing, keep good records of when instruction began.

Step 2: Notify the School in Writing

Write a brief, direct withdrawal letter to your school's principal. The letter does not need to be long. It should include:

• Your child's name, grade, and date of birth
• The date you are withdrawing them from enrollment
• A statement that your child will be receiving home-based private educational instruction under §118.165 of the Wisconsin Statutes

You do not need to explain your curriculum, your teaching credentials, or your reasons for withdrawing. You do not need to fill out any district enrollment withdrawal paperwork as a prerequisite — you may receive paperwork from the school as part of their records process, but signing their forms is separate from your legal right to withdraw.

Send the letter by email with a read receipt, or deliver it in person and keep a copy. Having a paper trail protects you if the school later claims they weren't notified.

Step 3: File the PI-1206 Form

The PI-1206 Annual Reporting Form for Home-Based Private Educational Programs is filed through the Wisconsin DPI online portal. The filing window opens on the third Friday of September and closes October 15 each year.

If you're withdrawing mid-year — say, in January — you've likely already missed the current year's filing window. In that case:

• File PI-1206 as soon as the next window opens (the following September-October)
• In the meantime, keep detailed records of your instruction: dates, subjects, hours, and any materials used
• If your district raises compulsory attendance questions during this period, your instruction records and dated withdrawal letter are your documentation

The PI-1206 form asks for basic information: your name, your child's name and grade, your address, and a list of the subjects you'll be teaching. The six required subjects are reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and health. You must provide 875 hours of instruction per year.

There is no fee to file PI-1206.

What the District Can and Cannot Do

Wisconsin school districts sometimes push back on withdrawals — particularly mid-year or when a student has an IEP or is receiving special education services. Here's what they can and cannot legally do:

They cannot: Prevent you from withdrawing. Your right to homeschool under §118.165 does not depend on district approval. A district employee who tells you that you need their sign-off is incorrect.

They cannot: Require you to continue services before withdrawing. If your child has an IEP, you can still withdraw. The IEP becomes inactive when the child leaves public school; it does not bind you to remain enrolled.

They can: Request that you fill out their internal records and enrollment forms as part of their administrative process. This is their paperwork, not a condition of withdrawal.

They can: Contact you to confirm you've received information about your home-based education obligations. This is informational, not supervisory.

They can: Flag a student as "withdrew to homeschool" in their attendance records. How they code your child's exit doesn't affect your legal standing.

If a district threatens truancy action after receiving your withdrawal letter, contact the Wisconsin Parents Association (WHPA). They have resources for families navigating district pushback.

Special Education and IEP Families

If your child currently receives special education services through an IEP, withdrawing to homeschool terminates the IEP. Wisconsin homeschool law does not require districts to continue providing special education services to homeschool students, and homeschool programs are not required to implement IEP goals.

Some Wisconsin districts offer to provide some services to homeschool students on a voluntary basis — speech therapy, for instance, may continue under a Service Plan rather than an IEP. This is entirely at the district's discretion and yours. You are not required to accept continued services, and they are not required to offer them.

Before withdrawing, think through whether your child currently relies on services you'd need to replace. Families who withdraw students with significant needs sometimes benefit from spending a few months arranging private therapy and curriculum supports before the withdrawal date.

Starting Your Homeschool Program

Once you've withdrawn, you're operating a home-based private educational program under Wisconsin law. Beyond the PI-1206 filing, Wisconsin leaves curriculum, schedule, and assessment entirely to you. There are no required tests, no portfolio reviews, no teacher qualification requirements.

If you're planning to teach children from another family alongside your own — a co-op, pod, or small-group arrangement — you'll need the PI-1207 private school registration rather than PI-1206. The one-family rule under §115.001(3g) means that the HBPE framework covers only your own children. The Wisconsin Micro-School & Pod Kit covers both the PI-1206 and PI-1207 pathways along with the enrollment documentation and legal setup for multi-family programs.

Withdrawing from public school in Wisconsin is a clean, legal process when you know the steps. Write the letter, file the form, keep records, and start teaching.

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