Idaho · leaving public school
How to withdraw your child from public school and homeschool in Idaho
Idaho 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 Idaho families homeschool under
- Compulsory attendance, parent-provided private instruction (Idaho Code 33-202)
- What to file
- Nothing is required. The Idaho State Department of Education says there is no registration, list, monitoring or reporting for homeschool families, and no approval or official form; it keeps no records. Idaho Code 33-202 specifies no letter contents.
- Send it to
- The state names no recipient. Address the principal or registrar of your child's current school.
- When
- No deadline in the statute. Not found in primary sources: any rule on mid-year withdrawal.
Step by step
Step 1. Know what Idaho requires to start
Nothing is required. The Idaho State Department of Education says there is no registration, list, monitoring or reporting for homeschool families, and no approval or official form; it keeps no records. Idaho Code 33-202 specifies no letter contents.
Step 2. Leave the school the right way
The department's FAQ tells parents to make sure the child is officially unenrolled from any public school, but the statute and pages we read set no state form, exit meeting or waiting period. Because the state is silent on method, it is common courtesy to tell the school in writing.
Step 3. Watch the deadlines
No deadline in the statute. Not found in primary sources: any rule on mid-year withdrawal.
Step 4. Ask for your child’s records
The state department says it keeps no homeschool records, and no Idaho-specific records right was found in the pages we read. FERPA gives a parent the right to inspect and request a copy of the child's education records.
Step 5. If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan
No Idaho-specific rule was found in the sources we read. Federal rule 34 CFR 300.300(b)(4) lets a parent revoke consent to special education services in writing, which ends the services after the district gives prior written notice.
Before you pull your child out
School ages and attendance in Idaho
Idaho Code 33-202 applies from age 7 up to age 16, and instruction in the subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools may be given privately by the parent or in a public, charter, private or parochial school (statute last amended 2009). The consequence for a withdrawn child with no filing was not found in the sources we read.
A letter you can fill in
Fill in the boxes and copy the letter. It is built from what we found above for Idaho: 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 principal of my child's current school [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 Idaho Code 33-202. 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 Idaho
Idaho State Department of Education, Homeschool (School Choice), last checked October 2026.
Sources we read
- https://www.sde.idaho.gov/about-us/departments/school-choice/home-school/
- https://www.sde.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Home-School-FAQ.pdf
- https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title33/t33ch2/sect33-202/
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.300
- https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/faq/what-ferpa
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 Idaho?
Nothing is required. The Idaho State Department of Education says there is no registration, list, monitoring or reporting for homeschool families, and no approval or official form; it keeps no records. Idaho Code 33-202 specifies no letter contents.
Can I take my child out of public school in the middle of the year in Idaho?
The department's FAQ tells parents to make sure the child is officially unenrolled from any public school, but the statute and pages we read set no state form, exit meeting or waiting period. Because the state is silent on method, it is common courtesy to tell the school in writing.
Who do I send the letter to in Idaho?
The state names no recipient. Address the principal or registrar of your child's current school.
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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