Connecticut · leaving public school
How to withdraw your child from public school and homeschool in Connecticut
Connecticut does not ask you to file a form to begin, but telling the school in writing is still the clean way to leave. Here is what we found, and a letter you can fill in.
The short version
- The law Connecticut families homeschool under
- Equivalent instruction exception to compulsory attendance (Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-184, as amended by Public Act 26-37 (effective July 1, 2027))
- What to file
- Under the current statute no notice or approval is required; the State Department of Education asks parents to contact the district central office with notice of intent and says the notice guidance is a recommendation, not a legal requirement (OLR report, July 2025). CHANGE: Public Act 26-37 (2026) amends 10-184 effective July 1, 2027, adding an annual intent to educate form due by October 1 to the district of residence, starting with the 2028 school year.
- Send it to
- The superintendent of your local school district, or the district central office.
- When
- No deadline in the current statute. Under the 2026 Act, new intent forms are due by October 1 each year, within 14 days for families moving into a district, and the withdrawal form applies to withdrawals starting with the 2027 school year.
Step by step
Step 1. Know what Connecticut requires to start
Under the current statute no notice or approval is required; the State Department of Education asks parents to contact the district central office with notice of intent and says the notice guidance is a recommendation, not a legal requirement (OLR report, July 2025). CHANGE: Public Act 26-37 (2026) amends 10-184 effective July 1, 2027, adding an annual intent to educate form due by October 1 to the district of residence, starting with the 2028 school year.
Step 2. Leave the school the right way
Today the SDE advises asking the superintendent's office how the district prefers notice. Under Public Act 26-37, withdrawing a public school child for parent-managed learning will require the parent to appear in person at the district office and sign a withdrawal form, and the withdrawal is not effective until the superintendent says so, after a records check with the Department of Children and Families, within 5 business days of the check starting.
Step 3. Watch the deadlines
No deadline in the current statute. Under the 2026 Act, new intent forms are due by October 1 each year, within 14 days for families moving into a district, and the withdrawal form applies to withdrawals starting with the 2027 school year.
Step 4. Ask for your child’s records
No state-specific records rule was found in the sources we read. FERPA (34 CFR 99.10) gives a parent the right to inspect and review the child's education records and ask for a copy; Public Act 26-37 treats DCF as a state educational authority for the records check.
Step 5. If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan
Federal rule: if a parent revokes consent in writing for continued special education and related services, the school may not continue them and must give prior written notice before stopping (34 CFR 300.300(b)(4)). No Connecticut-specific form or wait for IEP students was found in the sources we read.
Before you pull your child out
School ages and attendance in Connecticut
Children ages 5 to under 18 must attend public school unless the parent can show equivalent instruction elsewhere in reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, United States history and citizenship (10-184, current text). The sources we read name no consequence tied to a missing notice, since none is required today.
A letter you can fill in
Fill in the boxes and copy the letter. It is built from what we found above for Connecticut: it goes to your child's current school to withdraw, and the state filing described above is a separate step. Check it against the state office before you send it.
Everything you type stays in this page. It is never sent to us or saved. Put the recipient's name and address on the To line before you send it.
[today's date] To: The superintendent of my local school district [name and address] Re: Withdrawal from school and home education, [child's full name] Dear Sir or Madam: I am the parent of [child's full name], born [date of birth], who is currently enrolled in grade [grade] at [name of current school]. Please accept this letter as notice that I am withdrawing my child from [name of current school], effective [start date]. I will be providing a home education program under Conn. Gen. Stat. 10-184. I also request a copy of my child's education records, including the cumulative file, attendance and any testing records. Please send them to the address below. Thank you. Sincerely, [your name] [your address]
Who to ask in Connecticut
Connecticut State Department of Education, homeschooling, last checked October 2026.
Sources we read
- https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_168.htm
- https://portal.ct.gov/sde/homeschooling/homeschooling-in-connecticut
- https://portal.ct.gov/sde/homeschooling/homeschooling-in-connecticut/contact
- https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sde/homeschooling/home_schooling_cover_memo_2013_14.pdf
- https://www.cga.ct.gov/2025/rpt/pdf/2025-R-0078.pdf
- https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/ACT/PA/PDF/2026PA-00037-R00HB-05468-PA.PDF
- https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&which_year=2026&bill_num=5468
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-300/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR0e487e9b8f716c0/section-300.300
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/99.10
A plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice. Laws and forms change, so confirm the current rules with the state office before you send anything.
Once you have left, what do you teach?
Letters & Devotion is a Christian K-12 homeschool curriculum with lessons that are never timed. All 84 courses are readable in full with no account and no card, and the first 30 days are free.
$29 a month or $290 a year for every child. Cancel anytime, in one click.
Questions
Do I have to file anything to homeschool in Connecticut?
Under the current statute no notice or approval is required; the State Department of Education asks parents to contact the district central office with notice of intent and says the notice guidance is a recommendation, not a legal requirement (OLR report, July 2025). CHANGE: Public Act 26-37 (2026) amends 10-184 effective July 1, 2027, adding an annual intent to educate form due by October 1 to the district of residence, starting with the 2028 school year.
Can I take my child out of public school in the middle of the year in Connecticut?
Today the SDE advises asking the superintendent's office how the district prefers notice. Under Public Act 26-37, withdrawing a public school child for parent-managed learning will require the parent to appear in person at the district office and sign a withdrawal form, and the withdrawal is not effective until the superintendent says so, after a records check with the Department of Children and Families, within 5 business days of the check starting.
Who do I send the letter to in Connecticut?
The superintendent of your local school district, or the district central office.
What does it cost?
This page and the letter are free. If you choose Letters & Devotion for lessons, it is $29 a month or $290 a year for every child, and the first 30 days are free with no card.
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