How to Start Homeschooling in Rhode Island

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Rhode Island. Rhode Island's compulsory attendance law, R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-1, excuses a child who attends "a course of at-home instruction approved by the school committee of the town where the child resides."

The key phrase is "approved by the school committee." Rhode Island is not a notification-only state. Your town's school committee reviews and approves your at-home instruction first.

The companion law is R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2. It sets the requirements a school committee applies when approving at-home instruction: a period of attendance substantially equal to public schools, attendance registers, and instruction in specific subjects. It also lets you appeal a school committee's decision to the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Rhode Island's attendance law applies to every child who has turned 6 on or before September 1 of the school year, or who is enrolled in kindergarten, until the child turns 18 (R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-1).

If your child is under 6 by September 1 and not enrolled in kindergarten, the attendance law does not yet apply.

Here is how to start homeschooling in Rhode Island, step by step.

Step 1: Call your superintendent's office. Each town handles this differently, so this call is essential. Say: "I am planning to homeschool my child and I need to understand your approval process for at-home instruction under R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2." Ask these specific questions: Do you have an application form? What is the deadline to apply? What documents do you need from me? Is approval renewed each year? How should I submit attendance registers? Write down the name of who you speak with and the date you called.

Step 2: Write your homeschool plan. Put together a clear written plan. Include the subjects you will teach, the curriculum or materials you will use, and your planned schedule. Your period of instruction must be substantially equal to that required in public schools, per R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2. You pick your own books and approach.

Step 3: Submit your plan. Send your plan to the school committee or superintendent following the process from Step 1. If they have a form, use it. Keep a copy of everything you submit with the date you sent it.

Step 4: Prepare for any meetings. Some school committees may want to meet before granting approval. Bring a copy of your plan, sample curriculum materials, and a list of the subjects you will cover. Be friendly and prepared.

Step 5: Get written approval before you start. The attendance law excuses a child only for at-home instruction approved by the school committee (R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-1). Until you have approval, the attendance requirement still applies. Save your approval letter somewhere safe.

Step 6: Withdraw once you are approved. A withdrawal letter is not required by state law. What matters is that your school committee has approved your at-home instruction before your child stops attending school.

Step 7: Start teaching and keep attendance registers. Follow your approved plan. Keep attendance registers the same way public schools do, and return them as your school committee directs.

Step 8: Ask about renewal. Ask your school committee whether approval must be renewed and when. Mark any deadline on your calendar.

There is no single statewide homeschool form in Rhode Island. Each school committee sets its own approval process. Some towns may have application packets. Others may accept a detailed letter.

A typical submission includes your child's name and age, the subjects you plan to teach, the curriculum or materials you will use, and your planned instructional schedule. Ask your committee exactly what it needs.

Under R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2, attendance registers must be returned to the school committee, the superintendent of schools, truant officers, and the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Keep copies of everything you submit and every response you receive in a dedicated binder or folder.

R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2 requires these subjects to be taught in English, substantially to the same extent as they are required in the public schools:

• Reading
• Writing
• Geography
• Arithmetic
• The history of the United States
• The history of Rhode Island
• The principles of American government

The statute also requires the teaching of the English language to be thorough and efficient. You may teach other subjects, and in other languages, in addition to these. You choose your own curriculum, textbooks, and teaching approach.

R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2 requires a period of attendance substantially equal to that required by law in public schools. For public schools, R.I.G.L. Section 16-2-2 sets at least 180 days a year.

Your town shapes your experience. Each school committee runs its own process. Connect with the Rhode Island Guild of Home Teachers (RIGHT) at rihomeschool.com and with local families who have gone through your town's process.

Get every requirement in writing. When you call the superintendent's office, follow up with an email: "Thank you for our conversation today. I want to confirm the requirements you described are..." This creates a paper trail.

Know what the statute requires. R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2 sets three requirements: a period of attendance substantially equal to public schools, attendance registers, and instruction in the listed subjects. If a committee asks for something more, you can politely ask whether it is a statutory requirement or a local policy.

You can appeal. Under R.I.G.L. Section 16-19-2, anyone aggrieved by a school committee's decision to approve or refuse at-home instruction may appeal to the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which holds a hearing without cost to the parties.

Ask about deadlines and renewal. Ask about application deadlines and any renewal requirement at your very first call, and set calendar reminders.

Moving towns means a new approval. Approval comes from the school committee of the town where your child lives. If you relocate within Rhode Island, contact the new school committee as soon as you know your new address.

Plan ahead for high school. Create your own transcripts and keep careful records of courses, grades, and credits starting in 9th grade. Students can also pursue a high school equivalency credential.

Special needs families. Children with IEPs who leave public school may lose access to district special education services. Ask your district what support may be available. Federal Child Find requirements still apply, so your district must identify and evaluate children with suspected disabilities.

Public school sports and classes are not guaranteed. Rhode Island's at-home instruction statutes (R.I.G.L. 16-19) do not give homeschoolers a right to play public school sports or take individual public school classes. Ask your school committee what options exist in your town.