Homeschool Services

Notice of Intent to provide home instruction:

Notice of Intent 2023-24 (in Microsoft Word format)
Notice of Intent 2023-24 (in PDF format)

Please provide the following documentation to:
Bedford County Public Schools
Attn: Mark Blankenship, Home-School Designee
310 S. Bridge Street
Bedford, VA 24523


HOMESCHOOL RECORDS
Home schooling means instruction of a child or children by a parent/guardian or other person having control of such child or children, as an alternative to attendance in public or private school. The parent who elects to provide home instruction shall provide the division superintendent by August 1 following the school year in which the child has received home instruction with either (i) evidence that the child has attained a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test, or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT test or (ii) an evaluation or assessment which the division superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress, including but not limited to (a) an evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, having knowledge of the child's academic progress, stating that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress or (b) a report card or transcript from an institution of higher education, college distance learning program, or home-education correspondence school.

In Virginia, parents must ensure that a child attends school in compliance with the state compulsory attendance law as specified in 
§ 22.1-254  of the Code of Virginia when the child has reached his 5th birthday on or before September 30 of any school year and has not passed his 18th birthday. The compulsory attendance law requires that a child subject to that law attend a private or public school or receive an education through one of the other Code alternatives to school attendance unless the child falls within one of the Code exceptions.  Home instruction or home schooling is one alternative to school attendance and parents may home school “when the requirements of § 22.1-254.1 of the Code have been satisfied.” 

Section 22.1-254.1 of the Code requires parents who home instruct to provide the school division with:

  • Notice of Intent to provide home instruction
  • Evidence of having met one of the criteria for providing home instruction (see options below),
  • A list of the subjects to be studied for the coming year, and
  • Evidence of academic progress at the end of the school year by August 1.

 This information must be sent to the address listed at the top of this page.

The Code of Virginia will allow the parent of any child of school age to elect to home school a child if the parent provides evidence that he or she meets one of the following and the other requirements noted above:

  • Option I: The parent holds a high school diploma or a higher credential.
  • Option II: The parent meets the qualifications of a teacher as prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education. 
  • Option III: The parent provides a program of study or curriculum, which may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance-learning program or in any other manner. 
  • Option IV: The parent provides evidence that the parent is able to provide an adequate education for the child. 

Any parent who elects to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance shall annually notify the school division by August 15 of his intention to so instruct the child. (§ 22.1-254.1.B)  Parents who move into the school district or begin home instruction after the school year has begun must notify the school division as soon as practicable and comply with the provisions of the law within 30 days of such notice.  

Please Note: 

1. When you provide your Notice of Intent or Home School notification letter, it would be most helpful if all documentation was sent in at one time. A letter of acknowledgement will be sent to you once all documentation is received.

2. If your child returns to the public school setting or enrolls in a private school, please notify our office so that we may update our database.

3. Upon completion of a child's home school curriculum, please notify our office of the graduation date.  

4. All Homeschool documentation is destroyed 5 years after last action.