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Homeschooling in West Virginia

Homeschool rules in West Virginia, in plain English

West Virginia families can homeschool under a one-time Homeschool Notice of Intent filed with the county superintendent before home instruction starts. The parent giving instruction must show proof of a high school diploma or equivalent, and each child must be taught reading, language arts, math, science and social studies. Each year, the child must be assessed, and results for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 go to the county superintendent by June 30.

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This explains each state's homeschool rules in plain English, from the state's own published sources. It isn't legal advice, and we aren't lawyers. Laws change and every family is different, so check with your state, your school district or a lawyer before you rely on it.

How much it asks
Detailed: notices plus tests or reviews
School age
6 through 17. Attendance starts in the school year the child turns 6 before July 1, or when the child enrolls in a full-time publicly funded kindergarten. It ends at the 17th birthday, or later if the student is still enrolled in a school system.
Time
No set number

Option 1

Home instruction with a Notice of Intent (the most common route)

Families who want to homeschool without asking the county for approval. The county cannot deny this route if the basic requirements are met, but the county superintendent can ask a circuit court to deny home instruction after a showing of neglect.

  1. Before you startRecords

    Confirm the parent's diploma or equivalent

    The parent giving instruction needs a high school diploma or equivalent, or a post-secondary degree or certificate from an accredited institution. Keep a copy to send with your notice.

  2. Before you startPaperwork

    File the Homeschool Notice of Intent

    Send a one-time notice to the county superintendent (or designee) that gives each child's name, address and age, and promises instruction in reading, language arts, math, science and social studies. The state has a Homeschool Letter of Intent form; some counties also accept their own form or the state portal. Ask your county which method it uses.

  3. OngoingWhat to teach

    Teach the required subjects

    Teach reading, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies to each child of compulsory school age.

  4. Every yearTesting

    Assess each child every year

    Obtain an academic assessment of the child for the previous school year. Options named in the state homeschool law include a nationally normed standardized achievement test given under its published conditions by a qualified person, and other approved methods such as a state assessment or a portfolio reviewed by a certified teacher.

  5. Every year by June 30 in grades 3, 5, 8 and 11Testing

    Send assessment results for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11

    Submit the assessment results to the county superintendent or designee for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11, as applicable. Results are due by June 30 of the year the test was given.

  6. After an assessment shows unacceptable progressTesting

    Respond to weak progress

    If an annual assessment does not show acceptable progress, start a remedial program. If progress is still not acceptable the next year, send the county superintendent evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided. A disability does not end home instruction.

  7. Ongoing, for three years after each assessmentRecords

    Keep assessment copies

    Keep copies of each child's academic assessments for three years.

  8. When you stop home instructionPaperwork

    Notify when home instruction ends

    If you stop homeschooling a child who is still of compulsory school age, notify the county superintendent.

  9. Within the move to a new countyPaperwork

    File a new notice after a move

    If you move to a new county, notify the previous county superintendent and send a new Notice of Intent to the new county. If the child is enrolled in public school, give the notice on or before the date home instruction begins.

Option 2

Home instruction with county board approval

Families who want the county board to approve their home program in advance. The county board decides whether to approve, and any denial must be given in writing with reasons.

  1. Before you startPaperwork

    Ask the county board for approval

    Apply to the county board for approval of home instruction. The instruction may take place in the home or at another place the county board approves. The county sets the application process.

  2. OngoingWho teaches

    Provide qualified instruction for the school term

    The instruction must be given by a person the county superintendent and county board judge to be qualified to teach subjects required in public elementary schools. The instruction must run for a time equal to the public school instructional term.

  3. Ongoing, when requestedRecords

    Keep and share records on request

    When the county superintendent asks, provide information and records on attendance, instruction and progress.

  4. As set by your county boardTesting

    Meet county-set assessment and subject rules

    Under this route, the county board sets the assessment method, subject requirements and teacher qualifications it approves.

Option 3

Learning pod or microschool

Families whose children take part in a learning pod or microschool that provides their instruction. The state law sets notice and assessment duties that apply to the parent, guardian, pod or microschool.

  1. Before participation startsPaperwork

    File a notice of intent to participate

    Give the county superintendent or county board a notice with each participating child's name, address and age. Include an assurance that the child will get instruction in reading, language, math, science and social studies, and will be assessed each year.

  2. Every yearTesting

    Assess each child every year

    Each child must be assessed annually. The parent, guardian, pod or microschool submits the results. A pod or microschool may send school-wide composite results instead of individual results.

  3. When participation endsPaperwork

    Notify when participation ends

    Notify the county superintendent when a child of compulsory school age stops taking part in the pod or microschool.

Subjects to teach

  • Reading
  • Language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social studies

Tests and reviews

Each year, obtain an academic assessment of each child for the previous school year. Options include a nationally normed standardized achievement test given under published conditions, a state assessment, or a portfolio reviewed by a certified teacher, or another approved alternative. Send results for grades 3, 5, 8 and 11 to the county superintendent by June 30 of the year the test was given.

Records to keep

  • Copies of each child's academic assessments, kept for three years
  • Attendance, instruction and progress information for the county, if the superintendent asks for it
  • Proof of the parent's high school diploma or equivalent, given with the Notice of Intent

About time

The Notice of Intent route does not set a day or hour count in the homeschool law text we read. The county board approval route refers to the public school instructional term for the same length of time as public school. The state's public school term is commonly reported as 180 days, but we did not confirm that number in an official source, so no number is given here.

Also good to know

  • Students who are enrolled in public school for half time or less are still treated as homeschool students for assessment purposes.
  • Homeschooled students may ask to take a class at the local public school. The county board must approve, and normal registration and attendance rules apply.
  • If a child is assessed as not making acceptable progress, parents may request written information on special education eligibility services from the county board. A disability does not end home instruction.
  • Promise Scholarship: homeschooled applicants must show a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in core courses and overall coursework, submit a Grade Verification Form and a transcript, and get documentation of home-schooled status from the county school board office.
  • A child who enrolls in a public school in West Virginia from another state, or from a program in this state, is placed in the same grade the child was in at the previous school or program.
  • Hope Scholarship students are governed by a separate state program and must file a notice of intent to participate in that program.

What we couldn’t confirm

  • Whether attendance records must be kept for homeschooled children under the Notice of Intent route
  • Whether a diploma issued by parents is recognized for Promise Scholarship or college admission purposes
  • The exact number of instruction days or hours that applies under the Notice of Intent route
  • Whether some counties set compulsory attendance to age 18 by local legislation, as one advocacy group reports; not confirmed in an official source
  • Whether private, church or religious-order schools have a separate notice route, and what their Article 28 registration requires
  • The full list of county policies for homeschool re-entry and credit acceptance under the state content standards policy

From West Virginia’s own sources

Last checked against these sources on November 7, 2026. We check every state each week.

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Homeschooling in West Virginia

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