The Seven Requirements of an Affidavit Under PA Homeschool Law

The Affidavit serves as your official notification to the school district of your intention to homeschool a child in Pennsylvania.

Although there are plenty of free sample affidavits available on the internet, including on this site, I encourage every parent to understand the information that’s required on the affidavit according to Pennsylvania homeschool law.

The PDE (Pennsylvania Department of Education) offers a sample form which many school districts have adopted and make available on their own websites. I don’t recommend using this form because it’s too long and includes details that the law doesn’t require (list of immunizations, list of subjects required for example).

The seven elements required on an affidavit under Pennsylvania law can be found at 24 P.S. § 1327.1(b)(1). Most of them are self-explanatory, some require a little more explanation.

1. Name of Supervisor

The affidavit should identify the supervisor of the home education program. This is a parent or legal guardian with full or partial custody of the child. The supervisor must meet the minimum qualifications to homeschool. That is, he or she must have earned a high school diploma or it’s equivalent (GED or successfully completed a home education program according to the laws of the state in which they were homeschooled) and must not have been convicted of one of the crimes listed in subsection (e) of section 111 of the PA School Code within 5 years of the date of the affidavit.

2. Name and Age of Children Participating in Home Education Program

Only list children who have reached compulsory attendance age. Even though school districts commonly ask for the child’s birthdate or grade, only the child’s age is required.

3. Address and Telephone Number of the Home Education Program

This information is required to verify the school district of residence. If the school district asks for further proof of residency (a utility bill or a mortgage statement) you are not required to provide it. The affidavit is sufficient evidence of residency. If you no longer maintain a landline, a cell phone number of the supervisor is adequate.

4. Required Subjects Will be Offered in the English Language

This requirement is self-explanatory. This sentence of the statute also mentions the list of proposed educational objectives, which should be attached to the affidavit when you submit it to the school district and not included in the content of the affidavit.

The statute specifically prohibits a superintendent from using the proposed educational objectives to determine whether the home education program is out of compliance. Although, I don’t state this information in the affidavit, I restate it prominently on the list of proposed educational objectives.

5. Evidence of Health Services or an Exemption

If you do not maintain a religious objection to the health service requirements, you may attach a list of immunizations. Another option is to assert that the required health services have been obtained and a record is on file (either at home or with the health care provider). Another option if you don’t want to attach a list of immunizations is to attach a short note from your health care provider that the health service requirements have been met.

6. Catch-All Provision

The statute provides the exact language for my favorite requirement, “that the home education program shall comply with the provisions of this section and that the notarized affidavit shall be satisfactory evidence thereof.” See how this covers everything?

Many parents rely on this provision to avoid attaching health records (even if they don’t maintain a religious objection).

7. Certification Related to Adults Living in the Home

The last element of an affidavit might be the most important. The supervisor must certify that no adult living in the home has been convicted of one of the crimes listed in subsection (e) of section 111 of the PA School Code within 5 years of the date of the affidavit.

I hope you have a clearer understanding of the information required on the affidavit under Pennsylvania homeschool law.