This is not legal advice. As someone who lives in a state that is highly regulated, I cannot emphasize enough the need for you to advocate for yourself and make a point to know your state laws. While the school district will most likely provide you with a printed copy of the laws and regulations for home schooling, a local home schooling group can be a valuable asset when it comes to navigating your way through the system.
On first glance, West Virginia law reads something like this:
In order to homeschool your child you need to ask for the School Board’s approval. When you get that approval, the school board will decide what you teach, how you will teach it and how you will assess what your child has learned. If you don’t want the school board’s approval you don’t need it. Just send in a letter of intent.
I pondered this curious juxtaposition of legal meanderings for quite awhile and did some research. It seems that in West Virginia there is what is called the “notice” option and the “approval” option. Apparently, which option you choose is up to you and really determined by your needs. In this blog, I will briefly go over the approval option and reasons why you might choose this over the “notice” option. If you are considering homeschooling in West Virginia, I highly recommend getting advice from a local organization that represents homeschoolers. (Note: I will talk about compulsory age and other factors in the “notice” option post, since the “approval” option maintains that the school board dictates to you what should be done.
The “approval” Option
One option in West Virginia is to seek approval from the school board to homeschool your child. In this case, the parents must:
1) Homeschool in a place approved of by the school board.
2) Follow a school schedule during the year (provide instruction equivalent to the time and days that public schools do).
3) Provide attendance, syllabi, and progress information; if requested.
Also note that the school board may not approve a parent for home instruction for any “reasonable and just” reason.
So why on earth would you want to do it this way when you can just file a letter of intent?
*You do not have a high school diploma but still want to homeschool.
*Your child is chronically ill but otherwise you’d have them in public school.
*If you’re going to use a charter school this MIGHT be an option for you that requires less paperwork.
*You want oversight from the Board of Education for some reason.