Georgia Homeschool Requirements

Under OCGA §20-2-690(c)(1), the parent or guardian must submit a Declaration of Intent 'within 30 days after the establishment of a home study program and by September 1 annually thereafter' to the Georgia Department of Education. The DOE then provides copies to the local school systems. The DOI must include: names and ages of enrolled students, address of the home study program, name of the local school system, and a statement of the 12-month school year period. Enrollment records from the DOI may only be used for enrollment information purposes and may not be shared except with parental permission or court order. OCGA §20-2-690(c)(2).

OCGA §20-2-690(c)(4) requires that a home study program 'shall provide a basic academic educational program which includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.' The phrase 'but is not limited to' means families may supplement freely. There is no state-mandated curriculum or textbook approval requirement; parents choose their own materials.

OCGA §20-2-690(c)(5) states the home study program 'must provide instruction each 12 months to home study students equivalent to 180 school days of education with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half school hours unless the child is physically unable to comply.' This mirrors the requirement imposed on private schools under §20-2-690(b)(3). The 12-month school year can be any 12-month period designated in the Declaration of Intent.

OCGA §20-2-690(c)(7) requires that 'students in home study programs shall be subject to an appropriate nationally standardized testing program administered in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm-referenced tests to evaluate their educational progress at least every three years beginning at the end of the third grade.' Records of tests and scores must be retained by the parent but are explicitly not required to be submitted to public educational authorities. Additionally, OCGA §20-2-690(c)(8) requires the instructor to write an annual progress assessment report evaluating the student in each required subject; that report is also retained by the parent for at least three years.

OCGA §20-2-690(c)(8) requires 'the home study program instructor shall write an annual progress assessment report which shall include the instructor's individualized assessment of the student's academic progress in each of the subject areas specified in paragraph (4).' These progress reports, along with standardized test records under §20-2-690(c)(7), 'shall be retained by the parent, parents, or guardian of children in the home study program for a period of at least three years.' There is no requirement to submit these records to any school district or state agency absent a court order or parental consent.

OCGA §20-2-690(c)(3) provides: 'Parents or guardians may teach only their own children in the home study program, provided the teaching parent or guardian possesses at least a high school diploma or a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) diploma, but the parents or guardians may employ a tutor who holds a high school diploma or a state approved high school equivalency (HSE) to teach such children.' No teaching certification is required. Outside tutors may be employed but must also meet the diploma/HSE floor.

Georgia's school immunization statute (OCGA §20-2-771) requires immunization certificates for children enrolling in public or private schools but does not expressly require home study students to submit immunization records to any school or state agency. Because home study programs are recognized as a separate category under OCGA §20-2-690(a), and the DOE has confirmed its authority is limited to collecting the Declaration of Intent, home study families are not obligated to submit immunization documentation to the DOE or local school system absent a court order. Families remain subject to applicable public health laws if the child participates in any school-sponsored activity.

Georgia home study students are not entitled to special education services under IDEA through the local school district while operating a home study program, since home study is a private educational option. If a parent wishes their child to access IEP-based services, the child must enroll in the public school. OCGA §20-2-690 does not include any special education provisions. Families may choose to re-enroll the child at any time and request an evaluation. The Dexter Mosely Act (OCGA §20-2-319.6), enacted in 2021, allows grades 6–12 home study students to enroll in qualifying public school courses (and thereby access related services) without full-time enrollment.

Under OCGA §20-2-690(c)(1), the DOI must be filed 'within 30 days after the establishment of a home study program.' There is no state-required prior approval before beginning. The Georgia DOE recommends notifying the current school of withdrawal. When a child previously in a home study program seeks to re-enroll in public school, the local school system determines placement. Private or home-study enrollment records may not be used for any purpose except providing necessary enrollment information per OCGA §20-2-690(c)(2).

OCGA §20-2-690.1(a) states: 'School attendance shall be mandatory for children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays.' Subsection (b) requires every parent of a child in those ages to 'enroll and send such child or children to a public school, a private school, or a home study program that meets the requirements for a public school, a private school, or a home study program.' The obligation ends at the child's 16th birthday or upon successful completion of all high school diploma requirements, whichever comes first.

Georgia does not issue a state high school diploma to home study students. Parents may grant their own diploma or certificate of completion. Because OCGA §20-2-690(c)(8) requires annual progress reports and §20-2-690(c)(7) requires standardized testing records, families can document academic progress for college admission purposes. Under the Dexter Mosely Act (OCGA §20-2-319.6), grades 6–12 home study students may enroll in courses at their resident public school and earn credits toward a public school diploma if they eventually fully enroll. The Georgia DOE does not award diplomas to home study graduates.

Senate Bill 42 (2021), codified at OCGA §20-2-319.6, authorizes home study students in grades 6–12 to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic activities at their resident public school system. Participation requires the student to enroll in at least one qualifying course at the public school. Interscholastic activities are governed by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), and specific athletic eligibility questions should be directed to GHSA. The DOE has issued guidance noting it 'does not have oversight or monitoring authority over extracurricular or interscholastic activities.'