Are you officially homeschooling your child for the first time this year? If so, one thing you’ll need to do is to submit a letter of intent. Below are seven important facts you need to know about your letter of intent to homeschool in Oregon!
7 Important Facts About Your Letter of Intent to Homeschool in Oregon
1) Parents do not “register” to homeschool in Oregon. If you have chosen to independently homeschool your children (as opposed to the other models of education available in this state), you do NOT have to “register” with anyone. Instead, you simply notify the Educational Services District (ESD) that you intend to homeschool.
2) Notify if your child is 6 by September 1 this school year or you have recently withdrawn from public or private school – You’ll send the letter of intent once for each child. (If you move to another ESD, which is determined by the county you reside in, you will need to notify the new ESD.) The letter of intent is due within 10 days of the beginning of school or 10 days of withdrawing your child from public or private school. If you write the letter September 1st or on the day you withdraw your child from public or private school, you should have no problems.
3) Do not use the ESD’s online form – Several ESDs now have an online system that they prefer homeschoolers use. The forms often ask for more information than required by law. OCEANetwork recommends that you NOT use their online system and instead mail a paper letter of intent to homeschool. Here’s more in-depth information on why we make that recommendation. We make that process easier by providing a Letter of Intent PDF Generator!
Need help with your Letter of Intent to Homeschool? Here is a FREE tool you can use! The Letter of Intent to Homeschool PDF Generator will email you a PDF of your letter of intent that you can print and mail to the ESD.
4) Find your ESD and their mailing address – For your convenience, we provide a document with current ESD mailing addresses. You can download the most current version of that list as a PDF here.
5) Include only legally required information – The letter must contain your name and address, name and birthdate of the child you are homeschooling, and the name of the last public school your child attended or the school district in which you reside. Email address, phone number, grade level, etc. are NOT required. You can find a letter template here or use our Letter of Intent PDF Generator.
6) Expect an acknowledgement within 90 days – Make sure you keep a copy of your letter of intent for your files. We recommend sending it certified mail to keep a record of its arrival. The ESD is required by law to acknowledge the receipt of your letter within 90 days. Keep their acknowledgment in your permanent files also.
7) Contact OCEANetwork if needed – If you have any questions or run into issues, please contact us. We’re here to help!
For detailed information about homeschool laws in Oregon, including notification, read this page.
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