PENNSYLVANIA
Homeschooling in Pennsylvania: Requirements, Paperwork, and How to Start
A notarised affidavit by August 1, a portfolio kept all year, standardised testing at three grade points, and a qualified evaluator's written certification filed by June 30.
Homeschooling in Pennsylvania, Summarized
The Six Things Pennsylvania Asks of You
Legal in Pennsylvania
Yes
Compulsory ages
6 to 18
Do I notify anyone?
Yes — a notarised affidavit each year
by August 1
Paperwork load
High
portfolio, testing and an evaluator
Parent qualification
The supervisor must qualify
parent, guardian or legal custodian
Standardized testing
At grades 3, 5 and 8
reading, language arts and maths
Legal requirements last reviewed: June 2026 · Plain English · Not legal advice
Homeschooling is legal in Pennsylvania
What You Need to Know
This is one of the most heavily regulated states. File a notarised affidavit with your superintendent by August 1, qualify as the program's supervisor, keep a portfolio through the year, test at grades 3, 5 and 8, and have a qualified evaluator review the year and certify it to the district by June 30.
What Pennsylvania Asks of You
An affidavit in August, an evaluation by June.
Must do
File a notarised affidavit with your district superintendent
Act as supervisor: a parent, guardian or legal custodian holding a diploma or GED
Keep a portfolio of records and materials for each enrolled student
Have someone other than you test at grades 3, 5 and 8 in reading, language arts and maths
Arrange an annual written evaluation by a qualified evaluator
Provide the evaluator's written certification to the district
Dates that matter
August 1 each school year, and before commencing in a first year
Testing completed before the annual evaluator review; results go in the portfolio
June 30 for the evaluator's certification to reach the district
30 days before relocating within Pennsylvania during the school year
Good practice — not required
Book your evaluator early — June is their busiest month and the deadline does not move
Build the portfolio contemporaneously: it is what the evaluator reviews, not a summary of it
Instruction must meet 180 days or 900 hours at elementary level, demonstrable at the evaluation, and cover the mandated subjects for the grade band.
Pennsylvania's evaluator reviews a portfolio, not a summary. StudyPug builds it through the year as your child works.
Funding for Pennsylvania Home Education
The short answer, before the detail.
Pennsylvania provides no direct funding to homeschooling families.
There is no state education savings account or voucher for home education. Federal Coverdell accounts are the main tax-advantaged option, and they are open to families anywhere rather than being a Pennsylvania program.
To your family
$0 — no state funding
Your costs
Testing, the evaluator and the notarisation
Federal option
Coverdell accounts, not state-run
What StudyPug Handles for You
Not templates you fill in — records that fill themselves in.
Work-samples portfolio that assembles itself
Hours & attendance log that fills itself in
Progress reports you can download and share
Scope & Sequence export across the mandated subjects for the grade band
One-click portfolio package for your annual evaluator review
Every child in one account — up to 5
Questions About Homeschooling in Pennsylvania
Quick answers for homeschooling families.
Is homeschooling legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, as a home education program under § 13-1327.1 of the school code. It is among the most heavily regulated arrangements in the country, with an annual affidavit, a portfolio, grade-level testing and an independent evaluation.
Do parents need a teaching certificate?
Not a certificate, but the supervisor must hold a high-school diploma or its equivalent — someone without one may not legally supervise a home education program here. The supervisor must also be the parent, guardian or a person with legal custody, and the affidavit carries a criminal-record certification for every adult in the home.
Does Pennsylvania fund homeschooling?
No. There is no state education savings account or voucher for home education here, and the costs run the other way — testing, the evaluator's fee and notarising the affidavit all fall on the family. Federal Coverdell accounts are available nationwide.
What does the annual evaluation involve?
A qualified evaluator interviews your child, reviews the portfolio, and produces a written evaluation stating whether an appropriate education is occurring. You then provide that certification to your district by June 30.
What testing is required?
Standardised testing in grades 3, 5 and 8, covering reading and language arts and maths. You may not administer it yourself — the statute bars the child's parent or guardian, so it falls to the district, your evaluator, a co-op or a testing center. Results go into the portfolio, not to the district.
What records should I keep, and for how long?
A portfolio of records and materials for each student, maintained contemporaneously through the year and made available to the evaluator at the annual review. It is the document the whole compliance cycle turns on.
How many days or hours?
Instruction must meet 180 days or 900 hours a year at elementary level, and it must be demonstrable at the annual evaluation. The mandated subjects for the grade band must also be covered.
Official Sources
Confirm the rules and apply directly with your state.
Pennsylvania School Code § 13-1327.1
→The home education program, in full.
legis.state.pa.us — § 13-1327.1
Home Education and Private Tutoring
→The department's page on the affidavit, the portfolio and the evaluator.
pa.gov — Home Education
22 Pa. Code § 11.13
→Compulsory school age, which fixes when all of this starts.
pacodeandbulletin.gov — § 11.13
Other States:
Homeschooling in Rhode Island·Homeschooling in South Carolina·Homeschooling in South Dakota— each reviewed against its own official sources
See How Families Run Their Homeschool on StudyPug
Lessons, practice, and the records above — one family plan.
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StudyPug is a records tool, not legal advice. Homeschool rules, funding amounts, and deadlines change at least yearly — always confirm with the official sources above before you act. Requirements can also differ at the school-board or district level, so check with your local board or district too. We review every jurisdiction page and show you the date we last checked it; each requirement in your dashboard carries its own source and last-verified date.
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