In 1988, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a law making it legal for parents to homeschool their children in the Commonwealth. Prior to this legislation, Pennsylvania was one of the most aggressive states in prosecuting parents for truancy. Act 169 of 1988, which is the Pennsylvania Homeschool Law, is an extension of the compulsory education provision of the School Code. Both private and public schools are governed by the provisions of the school code.

The most important thing to take away from the preceding paragraph is that this statute gives every parent (or legal guardian of a child) who has custody in Pennsylvania the right to educate that child at home. YOU DO NOT NEED THE SCHOOL’S PERMISSION!

Two Basic Qualifications to Homeschool in Pennsylvania

According to the statute, if you earned a high school diploma or its equivalent, you are qualified to educate your children at home. You do not need a teaching certificate or some other post-secondary degree related to education. You are not required to produce your high school diploma to the resident school district when you file your paperwork with the school district. A statement in your affidavit that you earned a diploma is sufficient. For more information about what the affidavit is and what it must include, click here.

One other important restriction is that you or any other adult living at the address of the home education program must not have been convicted of the criminal offenses listed in subsection (e) of section 111 of the school code within five years immediately preceding the date of the affidavit.

You are not required to obtain official clearances, but if you or an adult living in your home has been convicted of homicide, aggravated assault, stalking, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, rape, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent exposure, incest, concealing the death of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, dealing in infant children, prostitution and related offenses, possession of obscene and other sexual materials, corruption of minors or sexual abuse of children within the past 5 years, you are prohibited from homeschooling.

Assuming you meet the 2 basic requirements above; 1) you have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent and 2) neither you nor an adult living in your home has been convicted of one of the crimes listed in the section identified, you are free to begin your homeschooling journey in Pennsylvania.

Written by BethPhillips