Oregon State Law

Oregon is among the least restrictive states in the country when it comes to home education, and has been since the early 1980s. In the 1999 and 2000 legislative sessions, laws were changed and administrative rules made to govern families who choose to educate their children at home.

For your children ages 6 to 18 (as of September 1st), you are required to:

1. Write a letter of your intent to home school. You only have to do this once for your local Education Service District (ESD). Please note that you will have to do it again if you move to another ESD. (Contact information can be found to the right.)

   This letter must be received by the ESD at least 10 days before the first day of your local district's school year. If you take your child out of school during the school year, it must be submitted within ten days of the student's withdrawal. This letter must provide ESD with:

   1. The parent's name and address
      (phone numbers and e-mail addresses are optional)
   2. The child's name and date of birth
   3. The name of the school the child is presently attending or last attended. If your child has never attended school, ESD needs the name of your local school district.

   We strongly recommend you do NOT give any additional information, such as reasons you are leaving the school.

2. Test at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. Testing for these grades is to occur in the third, fifth, eighth and tenth grade year ending August 15th. The first year is defined as when the child is seven on September 1, or earlier at the parent's discretion.

   The following table illustrates how the rules are to be applied:

   Age on September 1
   9 years old - Grade 3
   11 years old - Grade 5
   14 years old - Grade 8
   16 years old - Grade 10

   In many cases a student might be a year older when they test depending upon the date they were born. For example, a third grader born on November 20 will be 10 if they take the test in May. The key question remains, how old was the child on September 1st?

3. Turn test results into ESD at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 upon request. The law does not require home schoolers to turn in test results unless the ESD specifically asks for them. Some ESDs make blanket requests for all results.

Home Schooling in Washington:

Our neighbors to the north don't have it quite as easy: Parents who home school in Washington state need to qualify as home instructors, notify their local school district each year, and have their students tested annually. You may contact the following organizations for more information:

WA Homeschool Organization (W.H.O.)
6627 S. 191st Place, #F-109
Kent, WA 98032
(425) 251-0439

WA Association of Teaching Christian Homes (WATCH)
P. O. Box 1750
Airway Heights, WA 99001
Phone: 509.299.3766

Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington
25 Geissler Road
Montesano, WA 98563

Homeschool Network of Washington
10638 SE 236th Street
Kent, WA 98031

SW Washington Homeschool Network (SWAHN)
(SWAHN offers an incredibly helpful PDF booklet for home schooling in Washington)

Clark County Home Educators (CCHE)
P. O. Box 5941
Vancouver, WA 98668