Withdrawing from public school
How to Withdraw From Public School in Pennsylvania
Pulling your child out of public school in Pennsylvania starts with a letter to the school. The steps are below, with a free Pennsylvania withdrawal letter you can print today and the timing that keeps the district from marking your child absent in between.
How withdrawal works in Pennsylvania
File a notarized affidavit (or unsworn declaration) with your district superintendent, listing your educational objectives by subject; the affidavit is due August 1 each year and within a reasonable time when you start mid-year. Notify your child's current school in writing so attendance reflects the change. Keep a copy of the affidavit and your evaluator's annual certification (due June 30).
Step by step
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1
Confirm your child is currently enrolled
This guide is for moving a currently enrolled student to homeschooling. If your child has never attended public school in Pennsylvania (a kindergartner you're starting at home, for example), there's usually nothing to withdraw from. A quick call to the school confirms their status.
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2
Send a written withdrawal letter to the school
Moving a child from public school to homeschool in Pennsylvania starts with a written withdrawal to the current school and a notice of intent to the local district. Together they put the new arrangement on record. Homeschool Fox can draft the withdrawal letter for you. It fills in the student, district, and date fields automatically.
Get the free Pennsylvania withdrawal letter -
3
File your notice of intent
Yes, Pennsylvania requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district. The notice is filed again each school year.
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4
Keep dated copies for your records
Save a copy of the withdrawal letter and anything you file, noting the date you sent it. If the district ever asks about attendance, dated proof that you withdrew on time is what closes the question.
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5
Set up your homeschool
With the withdrawal handled, the rest is starting your homeschool: planning subjects, setting an hours or days target, and keeping records. The Pennsylvania homeschool guide covers what the law asks for from here.
Read the Pennsylvania homeschool guide
Withdrawing for the first time? The guide to withdrawing from public school covers the records request and mid-year timing in any state.
Free Pennsylvania printables
Three ready-to-use PDFs for Pennsylvania homeschoolers. No account needed.
Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.
What Homeschool Fox tracks for Pennsylvania
The records Pennsylvania asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.
- Hours toward each child's 900- or 990-hour goal
- Required subjects
- Days attended
- Portfolio records
- Professional evaluation
- Daily activity logs
- Printable PDF reports
- Progress tracking
Last verified October 2026 by Andy Leverenz against Pennsylvania's own published requirements. See the sources.
Source pages last confirmed live on Oct 26, 2026.
Homeschool Fox is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Confirm details with your state or a qualified advisor.
More Pennsylvania guides
- Pennsylvania Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
- Homeschooling High School in Pennsylvania Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
- Record Keeping in Pennsylvania What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
- Moving to Pennsylvania What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
- Public School Sports in Pennsylvania Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
- Homeschool Hours Required in Pennsylvania The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
- Required Subjects in Pennsylvania The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
- Pennsylvania Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
- Pennsylvania Year End Report What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
- Pennsylvania Homeschool Portfolio What belongs in it, who can ask to see it, and a printable checklist.
- Homeschool Testing in Pennsylvania What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.
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