Skip to main content

Pennsylvania Homeschool Deadlines & Calendar

Key homeschool deadlines for Pennsylvania, based on 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 (Home Education Program).

These are general deadlines for Home Education Program, the most common of Pennsylvania's 3 pathways. Our free wizard calculates exact dates for your family and sends email reminders.

Key deadlines at a glance

Jun

30

Submit assessment evidence

Annual

Portfolio review or Standardized test or Teacher evaluation -- annual

Jun

30

Annual progress report

Annual

Submit: evaluator's certification or letter. To: superintendent of the public school district of residence

Aug

1

File Notice of Intent

Annual

August 1 annually; prior to commencing if starting mid-year

Filing deadlines

Initial filing deadline
Prior to the commencement of the home education program
Annual renewal deadline
August 1 each year (affidavit); evaluator's certification by June 30
Send to
superintendent of the school district of residence

Starting mid-year? File notarized affidavit with superintendent prior to commencement

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(b)

Assessment deadlines

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: "06-30"; Private Tutoring: undefined; Religious Day School: undefined

Frequency
annual
At grades
3, 5, 8
Submit to
superintendent of the public school district of residence (evaluator's certification; test results stay in the portfolio)
Submission deadline:
06-30
Practical tip: Your evaluator can be a licensed clinical or school psychologist, a Pennsylvania-certified teacher, or a nonpublic school teacher or administrator with at least two years of teaching experience in a Pennsylvania school within the last ten years, with grading experience at your child's level. Others may evaluate with the superintendent's prior consent. The evaluator cannot be you or your spouse. At grades 3, 5, and 8, use a nationally normed test from the Department of Education's list, or the Statewide tests. The test may not be given by the child's parent or guardian (24 P.S. 13-1327.1(e)).

See our full assessment guide for Pennsylvania for accepted test types and scoring details.

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(e)

Reporting deadlines

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: "06-30"; Private Tutoring: undefined; Religious Day School: undefined

Progress reports
annual (by June 30) reports to superintendent of the public school district of residence
Annual renewal
Required by August 1
Evidence required:
evaluator's certification or letter
Submission deadline:
06-30
Practical tip: If the evaluator's certification does not reach the superintendent by June 30, the superintendent sends a certified letter giving you ten days to submit it. If the superintendent has a reasonable belief during the year that appropriate education may not be occurring, a certified letter stating the basis can require an evaluator's certification within 30 days. If a required certification is not submitted, the school board provides a hearing before a qualified, impartial hearing examiner within 30 days. The examiner may set up a remedial education plan agreed to by you and the superintendent. Either side may appeal to the Secretary of Education, Commonwealth Court, or court of common pleas, and the program may continue during an appeal (24 P.S. 13-1327.1(h.1), (i.1), (k), (l)).

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(b), (e)

Month-by-month calendar

August

  • •August 1: File Notice of Intent

June

  • •June 30: Submit assessment evidence
  • •June 30: Annual progress report

Other ways to homeschool in Pennsylvania

These deadlines are for Home Education Program. Pennsylvania offers 3 pathways, and each may have different deadlines:

  • •
    Home Education Program(this page): You file a notarized affidavit with the superintendent of your school district of residence before you begin and by August 1 each year. You provide 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours at the elementary level or 990 hours at the secondary level, in the required subjects, and keep a portfolio. Each year a qualified evaluator reviews the portfolio, and you submit the evaluator's certification that an appropriate education is occurring to the superintendent by June 30. Standardized tests are required at grades 3, 5, and 8 (24 P.S. 13-1327.1).
  • •
    Private Tutoring: A Pennsylvania-certified teacher, paid for the instruction, provides most of the instruction to children of a single family and files a copy of the certification and criminal history record with the superintendent of your school district of residence (24 P.S. 13-1327(a)). Testing and attendance records are not required of the family by state law. The tutor reports the child's enrollment, any withdrawal, and any three days of unexcused absence to the school district (24 P.S. 13-1332).
  • •
    Religious Day School: Your child attends a day school operated by a bona fide church or other religious body that provides 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours at the elementary level or 990 hours at the secondary level, and teaches the courses listed in the statute (24 P.S. 13-1327(b)). The school's principal files a notarized affidavit with the Department of Education. Testing and attendance records are not required of the family by state law. The school reports enrolled children, withdrawals, and any three days of unexcused absence to the school district (24 P.S. 13-1332).

Our wizard calculates the right deadlines for your pathway. Compare all pathways for Pennsylvania

Never miss a deadline

Our wizard calculates your exact deadlines and sends email reminders so you never miss a filing date.

Get your Pennsylvania deadlines

Deadlines sourced from 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 (Home Education Program). Last reviewed October 2026