How to Start Homeschooling in Texas

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in Texas. The Texas Education Agency describes it as a legal alternative to public schooling since 1994.

Texas does not have a separate homeschool statute. Instead, homeschooling works through Tex. Educ. Code Section 25.086(a)(1), which exempts a child who "attends a private or parochial school that includes in its course a study of good citizenship."

In Leeper v. Arlington ISD (1994), the Texas Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision that children taught at home are exempt from compulsory attendance to the same extent as students in private schools, as the TEA describes it. TEA also says parents who home school are required to follow a course of study that includes good citizenship.

In 2025, Texas added Tex. Educ. Code Section 1.010, which bars the Texas Education Agency, the State Board of Education, and other educational institutions from adopting a rule or policy that regulates the educational program of a home school.

Texas requires school attendance for a child who is at least 6 years old and has not yet reached the child's 19th birthday. A child younger than 6 who has previously been enrolled in first grade is also covered. This comes from Tex. Educ. Code Section 25.085.

If your child is 4 or 5 and not enrolled in school, there is no rush. You have time to explore curricula and find your approach before anything is required.

This is one of the simplest states to start homeschooling. Here is what to do:

Step 1: Decide. There is no application, no approval process, and no waiting period.

Step 2: Choose your curriculum. Your curriculum should be designed to meet basic education goals in reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship. There is no state-approved curriculum list. Pick what fits your family.

Step 3: Send a withdrawal letter (if your child is in school). If your child is currently enrolled, you can send a short letter to the principal or attendance office. Texas does not require a withdrawal letter, but it gives the school a clear record that your child is leaving, and it gives you a copy for your files.

A useful letter includes: (1) your name and contact info, (2) your child's name, date of birth, and last grade attended, (3) the date of withdrawal, and (4) a sentence stating that your child is being withdrawn to be home schooled under Tex. Educ. Code Section 25.086(a)(1). Keep a copy and a record of when you sent it.

Step 4: Start teaching. There is no form to file and no approval to wait for. You are ready.

Texas law requires a course of study that includes good citizenship (Tex. Educ. Code Section 25.086(a)(1)). Under Leeper, the Texas Education Agency explains that a school district may ask for a letter of assurance that your home-school curriculum is designed to meet basic education goals including reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and a study of good citizenship. TEA notes that such a letter is not required each year.

For college-bound students, broader coverage, such as science, history, and foreign language, helps with admissions.

You can use any curriculum you want. Commercial, religious, secular, self-designed: there is no state-approved list.

Start keeping records from day one. Texas has no recordkeeping mandates, but records make college applications much easier. Keep (1) a transcript listing courses and grades by year, (2) course descriptions for each subject, (3) samples of your child's best work, and (4) any test scores if you choose to test. TEA states that a Texas college or university must treat a home school graduate to the same general standards, including standardized test score requirements, as other applicants who graduated from a public high school.

Know what a district may ask. TEA says a district that becomes aware of a child who may be home schooled may request in writing a letter of assurance that the child is being home schooled. A short written reply confirming that your child is being home schooled answers that request. TEA lists the Texas Home School Coalition and the Texas Home Educators as resources for more information.

Look into the education savings account program. Texas created an education savings account program in 2025. Participation is voluntary. Check the program's official website for current amounts, eligibility, application dates, and any testing or reporting that comes with accepting funds. If you value simplicity, you can skip the program and homeschool under Section 25.086(a)(1) alone.

Your child may be able to play school sports. Under SB 401 (2025), districts must let non-enrolled students who meet UIL eligibility standards participate in UIL activities unless the district's board adopts a policy declining. If your home district declines, your child may participate for the closest school that has not. Contact your local school's athletic director to ask how to sign up.

Look into dual credit. Public community colleges offer dual credit courses for high school students, and Tex. Educ. Code 130.008(e) requires them to use the same admission criteria for home school students as for other students. Apply through your local community college's admissions office.

Diplomas and transcripts. Texas does not award a diploma to home-schooled students. You create your child's transcript. No state template exists.

Umbrella schools are optional. Some families join umbrella schools for help with transcripts and diplomas. Texas law does not require one. You still homeschool under Section 25.086(a)(1) either way.