An Exceptions to Compulsory Education Form (Form 4140) (PDF) or a letter of intent to homeschool should be sent to the principal of your child’s designated home public school.

Form 4140 must be completed and sent to your child’s designated home public school. A letter of intent, signed by the parent, can be used in place of Form 4140.

Homeschooling may begin as soon as the signed Form 4140 or letter of intent is sent to your child’s designated home public school.

Your child’s name, address, telephone number, birth date and grade level, as well as a parent signature and date of signature.

Parents are not required to officially enroll and un-enroll students in order to homeschool their child; therefore, no birth certificate or proof of residency is required.

The school and complex area office acknowledge the notice of intent submitted by the parents by sending the parents the original Form 4140 after it is signed by the principal and complex area superintendent; or by writing “acknowledged” on the bottom of the parent’s letter of notification along with the signature of the principal and complex area superintendent. Signed copies of Form 4140 or the letter of intent are kept on file at the school and district office.

Health records are not required for homeschooled children. It is not necessary for the homeschooled child to submit the TB (tuberculosis) test clearance or Form 14 (Student Health Record).

Students who are homeschooled may participate in the Smarter Balanced assessment(s) and Hawaiʻi State Assessment (HSA) Science assessments or the HSA Alternate assessments at the request of the parent or guardian.

No. The only time a new Form 4140 or a new letter of intent to homeschool needs to be resubmitted is when the child transitions from elementary to intermediate/middle school or intermediate/middle school to high school, or if the child moves to another neighborhood.

You are not required to submit their curriculum to the Department or the school of record for review unless the school has reasonable cause to believe that there may be educational neglect. You are responsible for keeping a record of the planned curriculum for the child. The curriculum shall be structured and based on educational objectives as well as the needs of the child, be cumulative and sequential, provide a range of up-to-date knowledge and needed skills, and take into account the interests, needs and abilities of the child. A principal at the school of record may request to view the curriculum if the annual report is not sufficient to show satisfactory progress.

A parent teaching his/her child at home shall be deemed a qualified instructor regardless of educational background or training.

Schools are responsible for informing parents what basic units of study should be covered for a particular grade level. Information on the standards and benchmarks for each grade level can be found on the Subject Matter Standards page.

Whenever you choose to terminate homeschooling, you are required to notify the principal of the school of record (school where intent to homeschool was sent). The child shall be re-enrolled in their designated home public school or a licensed private school unless a new alternative educational program is presented within five school days after the termination of homeschooling. Notification may be written or verbal.

For grades one through eight, the homeschooled child shall re-enroll at the appropriate grade level by birth date. For example, if the homeschooled child by birth date should be an eighth grader, then he/she is enrolled as an eighth grader.

Once the child is enrolled, if the school or parent has a concern about appropriate grade level placement, then the school shall evaluate the student (as it would any other student) and make adjustments accordingly, including placement at another grade level. You should be informed and involved in the assessment, as feasible. The principal’s decision about grade placement is final.

Homeschooled students do not receive a high school diploma. A homeschooled student who wants to earn a high school diploma from the local public high school shall attend high school for a minimum of three full years to meet the graduation credit requirements.

Yes, a homeschooled student with a valid Form 4140 who has been receiving homeschool instruction for at least one semester may earn a high school equivalency credential and a Hawaiʻi Adult Community School Diploma from the Community School for Adults. To earn this high school equivalency credential, the student must attain a passing score on either the General Educational Development (GED) or HiSET test.

Your child who is being homeschooled may participate in any college entrance examination, which is made available to all other students. The principal of your child’s designated home public high school shall, upon request, supply written acknowledgement that a child has been homeschooled in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 12, Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (PDF). The letter is written for homeschooled children whose parents have met the requirements of Chapter 12, i.e., submitted an annual progress report and test data for appropriate grade levels.