VT

How to Start Homeschooling in Vermont (2026)

Vermont law requires a parent or legal guardian to send the Secretary of Education a notice of intent at least 10 business days before home study begins, attesting to an annual assessment of each child's progress and the equivalent of at least 175 days of instruction in the minimum course of study, and to give notice each year of the intention to continue (16 V.S.A. 166b(a) and 166b(k)).

Legal framework

Vermont Statutes Title 16, Section 166b, governs the home study program. A parent or legal guardian sends the Secretary of Education a notice of intent to enroll the child at least 10 business days before home study begins (16 V.S.A. 166b(a)). The notice attests that the academic progress of each child will be assessed at the end of each school year and that the parent or guardian will maintain the record of those assessments (166b(a)(3)), and that each child will be provided the equivalent of at least 175 days of instruction per year in the minimum course of study, which is the subject areas listed in section 906 of Title 16 for a child younger than 13 and those listed in subdivisions 906(b)(1), (2), (4) and (5) of Title 16 for a child 13 or older (166b(a)(5)). For each child not previously enrolled in a Vermont public school or Vermont home study program, the notice includes independent professional evidence regarding whether the child has a documented disability and how the disability may affect the child's educational progress in a home study program (166b(a)(4)). Permitted assessments include a standardized assessment, a review by a holder of a Vermont teacher's certificate, a parent report and portfolio with at least four samples of student work, grades from an online academy or school, and evidence of passing the GED. Within 10 business days of a complete notice, the Secretary acknowledges receipt in writing, which is sufficient enrollment verification for purposes of section 1121 (166b(b)). The parent or guardian notifies the Secretary in writing within 10 business days following the date that a student is withdrawn from the home study program (166b(c)). A parent or guardian who has provided a complete enrollment notice notifies the Secretary, on a form provided by the Agency of Education, of the intention to continue home study on or before the start of each following year, and at least 10 business days before the intended start date of the home study program (166b(k)).