Home Schooling

George "Pat" Willis is the home school coordinator for the seven local school districts in Geauga County. If you are interested in home schooling or want more information, contact George at 440-729-5915.

Home Schooling Information

Home Schooling Information
Home Education

In Ohio, a parent interested in educating his/her child at home may request that the child be excused compulsory school attendance for home education purposes. Home Education is educational delivery that is directed by the parent or guardian of a child who has been excused from attending school. Under this option, the parent/guardian selects the curriculum and educational materials and takes responsibility for educating the child. There is no state financial assistance for families who choose this option.

Download the Home Education Fact Sheet.

Requirements for Home Educating Parents
Home education is recognized by section 3321.04 of the Ohio Revised Code and section 3301-34 of the Ohio Administrative Code. The parent or guardian must notify the superintendent of the public school district of residence of his/her intent to home educate a child of compulsory school age. The notification must include specified informational items and assurances concerning the home education program, including a curriculum outline and a list of books or learning materials to be used for the year (see the sample notification form below). Providing the appropriate information and assurances removes the responsibility of educating a child from the public school district of residence and places it with the parent/guardian. Some home-educating families find the information in Ohio’s Academic Content Standards to be helpful for curriculum planning purposes.

In addition to the information and assurances, an annual assessment is required before the superintendent accepts notification of the intent to home education during the next school year.

Enrolling a Previously Home Educated Student into School
If a parent that has been home-educating a child decides to enroll the child into public school, the local district superintendent will determine the appropriate grade level placement of the child and will evaluate which credits may be applied toward the district's requirements for graduation.

Ohio’s Online Community Schools
Ohio also has several online community schools, or E-schools, that provide education to students largely electronically through the use of a computer and related materials. These community schools are state chartered and state funded. While students enrolled in online community schools do typically work from home, enrollment in an online community school differs from Home Education because the online school is responsible for providing the curriculum and educational resources. Additionally, state funded community schools may not provide religious instruction. Parents interested in learning more about online community schools may contact the ODE Office of Community Schools toll-free at (877) 644-6338.

Information for Colleges or Employers
Students that are home-educated do not receive diplomas that are endorsed by Ohio’s State Board of Education. Therefore, colleges and universities and prospective employers have discretion regarding the acceptance of graduation credentials for students that were home-educated through high school graduation. The Ohio Department of Education does not have access to student-level information or data regarding the graduation status of individual students. If you have questions regarding the graduation status of an individual student, please contact the local public school district within which the student resided. For local school district contact information, access the Ohio Educational Directory System.

Click here for Ohio’s Home Education Rules.

Click here for Home Education Contact List.

Click here for example Home Education Notification Form

For more information, contact:
Nina Pace
Nonpublic Educational Options Coordinator
(614) 752-5068
[email protected]

Home Schooling Forms

Home Education Notification Form

Home Schooler Prospective Letter

Assessment Procedure

Ohio Home Education Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet for parents Investigating Home Education in Ohio created by Jennifer Gorton

Contacts

George "Pat" Willis, M.Ed.

Geauga County Home School Coordinator

440-729-5915
West Geauga Board of Eduction

8615 Cedar Rd

Chesterland, OH 44026

Geauga County Education Service Center

8221 Auburn Road Painesville, Ohio 44077 | Phone: (440) 350-2563 | Fax: (440) 352-6066