Laws & Policies Regarding Home Education in Connecticut
This page provides accurate information about Connecticut home education law for parents, superintendents, legislators, media, agencies, and the general public. Parents: It is essential to understand your rights. This page will help clarify them.
There are two critical distinctions everyone must understand:
The difference between a statute (law) and a
A policy (guideline or suggested procedure)
Statutes carry the force of law. Policies do not.
For the most accurate information about Connecticut homeschooling, always refer directly to the Connecticut General Statutes and experienced homeschool organizations.
STATUTES (Laws)
Only a small number of Connecticut statutes are relevant to home education.
These are found primarily in: CGS Chapter 168 – School Attendance and Employment of Children
Portions of CGS Chapter 172
These statutes establish parental duties and compulsory attendance requirements.
CGS §10-184 — Duties of Parents
Connecticut General Statute § 10-184 — Duties of Parents
“All parents and those who have the care of children shall bring them up
in some lawful and honest employment and instruct them or cause them
to be instructed in reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic,
U.S. history, and in citizenship, including a study of the town, state and federal governments.”
This first sentence of CGS 10-184 covers compulsory education and
attendance for the parents who choose this education model, a.k.a. “homeschooling”.
Parents have the right & the duty — not the state.
This single sentence establishes:
The compulsory education requirement
The parent’s authority to provide instruction
The required subjects
Required Subjects:
Reading
Writing (including spelling and grammar)
Geography
Arithmetic
U.S. History
Citizenship (town, state, federal government)
If a child is not enrolled in public or private school, the school district does not owe services to that child, including special education services. Parents may seek services independently through private providers.
Compulsory Attendance
Children ages 5 to under 18 must:
Attend public school, attend private school, or receive equivalent instruction (i.e., homeschooling or private schooling). If a child is withdrawn from public or private school to homeschool, parents must submit a Letter of Withdrawal (LOW) to prevent truancy issues.
Withdrawing for Adult Education
If a 17-year-old is withdrawing to enroll in adult education, the parent must:
Appear in person at the district office
Sign required withdrawal and enrollment forms
Important Clarification: If withdrawing to homeschool (not for adult education), this procedure does not apply. A Letter of Withdrawal (LOW) is required.
Delayed Enrollment (Ages 5–6)
Parents may delay enrolling a child:
Age 5 → until age 6
Age 6 → until age 7
If delaying enrollment in public/private school, parents must sign an “opt-out” form at the district office. This procedure does not apply to parents who are going to be homeschooling as they do not enroll – they homeschool.
Special Education — CGS §10-184a
Boards of education are not required to provide special education services to children whose parents choose to homeschool and decline such services.
CGS §10-184b — Protection of Parental Authority
The Commissioner of Education may not limit the authority of parents to provide equivalent instruction under §10-184.
Truancy — CGS §10-198a
A “truant” is defined as a child: Enrolled in public or private school
With 4 unexcused absences in one month or 10 unexcused absences in one school year. Homeschooled children are not enrolled and therefore not subject to truancy definitions.
Enumeration & Reporting — §§10-249 and 10-251
School districts must annually count school-age children.
Parents may be fined up to $25 for willfully refusing to provide a child’s name and age when required by statute.
Policies (Not Law)
The Connecticut State Board of Education adopted a document titled: “Suggested Procedure for Home Instruction”. This is a policy — not a statute. Policies do not carry the force of law and are optional for parents.
Notice of Intent (NOI) & Portfolio Review (PR)
The “Suggested Procedure” recommends:
Filing a Notice of Intent (NOI)
Participating in an annual Portfolio Review (PR)
These are voluntary.
There is no statute requiring parents to file an NOI or participate in a portfolio review. The wording of the original form created confusion by using both “suggested” and “must.” This inconsistency has led to misunderstanding over the years.
Parents may:
File the NOI annually
File once and stop in later years
Never file at all
It is fully a parental choice.
CHN Position
Historically, CHN and NHELD have stated the NOI and PR are optional and left the decision to parents. Following legislative proposals in 2019 (SB-874, Sections 17 & 18), which would have imposed mandatory annual registration and additional oversight, CHN now recommends that parents carefully consider whether filing the NOI is in their best interest. Legislative efforts to increase oversight were defeated, preserving homeschool freedom in Connecticut.
C-4 & C-14 Guidelines
The C-4/C-14 Guidelines are policy documents created in 1990 and revised in 1994. They acknowledge parents’ right to homeschool, suggest procedures for districts, outline recommended processes for filing NOI and conducting portfolio reviews. They do not create legal obligations beyond statute.
Summary of Key Points
Homeschooling in Connecticut is grounded in §10-184.
Filing a Notice of Intent is voluntary.
Portfolio Reviews are voluntary.
Withdrawing to homeschool only requires a Letter of Withdrawal.
Adult education withdrawals require additional in-person procedures.
Policies are not statutes.
Sample Notice of Intent (Original Format)
The original NOI form was titled: “Suggested Procedure for Home Instruction”
It requested basic information including:
Student name and date of birth
Address
Teacher name
Subjects taught (required and recommended)
Days of instruction
Method of assessment
The superintendent’s signature acknowledging that parents are accepting full responsibility and the superintendent’s signature is for receipt only — not approval.
Connecticut Homeschool Legal Support
Deborah G. Stevenson, attorney-at-law
National Home Education Legal Defense (NHELD)
Attorney Deborah Stevenson became involved in homeschool legal advocacy as a Connecticut homeschooling parent before attending law school. She now practices Education Law and Appellate Law and serves as Executive Director of NHELD. While NHELD provides guidance regarding federal education laws, Attorney Stevenson is widely recognized as a leading legal advocate for Connecticut homeschool families.