How to Withdraw Your Child From School in Indiana
Do you want to withdraw your child so you can homeschool?
Create your FREE Withdrawal Letter and mail it to your child’s school.
This form is only for current students of Indiana public and private schools. If your child has never been enrolled in an Indiana school, you do not need to use this form. Create one withdrawal letter for EACH child that has been enrolled in school.
- Preview the form below and gather the information needed for each child’s school.
- Complete and submit the form and then check your email. Your personalized letter should arrive within a couple of minutes. Further instructions will be included in the email and the withdrawal letter will be attached. Be sure to check your junk or spam folders if you do not see the email within a few minutes.
- Print and send your letter via certified mail to the school before you begin to homeschool.
Should you sign a withdrawal form created by your school?
Oftentimes, a school may also ask families to sign their own form that asks for additional information. It may contain basic information, questions about the return of school property (books and/or tech), outstanding lunch fees, etc. Most school-created forms contain basic administrative questions and are not problematic. High school parents will also be asked to sign a form provided by the Indiana Department. of Education (more information below).
If you are presented with a form that contains questions that require more than basic administrative information, contact us immediately.
Registration With the State is NOT Required
Families are often told that they are required to register their homeschool with the Indiana Department of Education to receive a homeschool number. This is not true.
There is no registration process for homeschools in Indiana and a “homeschool number” serves no purpose.
The Department of Education does give homeschool families the OPTION to report student enrollment. The decision to report enrollment to the state is up to each family and should be carefully weighed based on your specific situation. We are not attorneys and can not advise you whether you should or shouldn’t report. We recommend contacting HSLDA if you have any legal questions.
Withdrawing a High School Student
When a student is removed from an Indiana high school, the school must correctly identify and document if that student is being withdrawn (or transferred) to a nonpublic, non-accredited school (homeschool) or if that student is a drop-out.
When a family seeks to withdraw their student from a public high school, the school will present families with the form WITHDRAWAL TO NON-ACCREDITED NONPUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED IN INDIANA that should be filled out to acknowledge that they understand Indiana law on home education.
A school may request to meet with parents, but a formal exit interview is NOT required. Exit interviews are only required by law for parents of student drop-outs. (Indiana Code Title 20. Education § 20-33-2-28.5)
LEARN MORE
Section 10 of House Enrolled Act 1005, added I.C. 20-33-2-28.6, a new section, to law. I.C. 20-33-2-28.6 provides the following: (a) This section applies to a high school student who is transferring to a nonaccredited nonpublic school. (b) Before a student withdraws from a public school, the principal of the student’s school shall provide to the student and to the student’s parent information on a form developed by the department and approved by the state board that explains the legal requirements of attending a nonaccredited nonpublic school located in Indiana. The principal and a parent of the student shall both sign the form to acknowledge that the parent understands the content of the form. (c) If the parent of the student refuses to sign the form provided by the principal under subsection (b), the student is considered a dropout and the principal shall report the student to the bureau of motor vehicles for action under section 28.5(g) of this chapter. The student is considered a dropout for purposes of calculating a high school’s graduation rate under IC 20-26-13-10.
Note: A child is no longer subject to compulsory attendance law after he reaches his 18th birthday. A child who has reached his 16th birthday is not subject to compulsory attendance law if certain requirements are met as described in or IC 20-8.1-3-17 (j) (or IC 20-8.1-3-17.7, if SB 367 is enacted). One of the requirements is that the student’s principal consent. For a student enrolled in a home-based private school, the principal will usually be the mother or father.
Congratulations on your decision to take your children’s education into your own hands! Indiana Association of Home Educators (IAHE) will be here to support you in this journey every step of the way.