In Ohio, there are a couple different options for filing as a homeschooling family.
One way to homeschool is the traditional option, filing a letter of intent to the school district superintendent before regular school year begins. Any parent with a high school diploma or equivalent can homeschool their children.
Under the recent laws, parents had to submit several forms to the superintendent including their curriculum, a textbook list, and proof the home teacher has a diploma. The parents also had to give their child standardized tests or hire an assessor to report progress and scores to the district to prove they were on track. In October 2023, the new law ended those requirements, so parents only have to send a single letter to the superintendent with their child’s name, birthday, address, and intent to homeschool.
Every year, I read stories from parents who had their intents rejected or paid exorbitant fees for local certified teachers to assess their children. I have always tried to avoid standardized tests. Only my eldest ever had to do any – once in Hawaii and once in Utah. I have lots of thoughts about the required assessments from a certified teacher. I see ads all over social media and I get that this is a viable side hustle for teachers and homeschool moms. I just don’t want to be evaluated by a stranger who doesn’t know me or my kids or understand our goals and values. I have a master’s degree in education. I was certified to teach English 7-12, long ago in Georgia. I know what I am doing, probably more than most. It seems there can be a lot of hoops to jump through and I would rather avoid them all.
Alternatives to Public School
- Forest Schools in Cincy and Dayton: several to choose from
- Cincinnati Waldorf
- Tinkergarten
- Montessori Dayton
- Leaves of Learning
- TECH Co-op
- Roots and Wings
- SPARK Co-op
- TULSA Microschool
- Wright Independent Learning Cooperative (WILC)
- Dayton Inclusive Co-op (DISC): Private Facebook Group
The other homeschooling option is to register as a Non-Chartered, Non-Tax Supported Schools, or 08 School, as it is called in the Ohio Administrative Code. A parent must have earned a bachelor’s degree in any subject to file as an 08 school. This option is for schools not seeking a charter from the state because of “sincerely held religious beliefs.” They don’t specify anything else, so this is open to interpretation.
There is a list of basic curricula to follow (which is pretty common for most homeschools) and local fire, health, and safety regulations to comply (which we should all do anyway). I like the primary benefit of this option: NO assessment requirement to report.
Each year, I mail in treasury letters, attendance forms, and cover letters to the state and a copy to our local school district. The language in the letters is a little disconcerting, since there are no other pupils or parents other than our immediate family.
I receive a letter from the state each year that I can show to prove we homeschool legally and to get teacher discounts.
I am listed in the state NCNT school listings online. Some people do not like this and feel it is an invasion of their privacy, perhaps opening their home up to local health inspections to ensure compliance. We have never been contacted or inspected.
I like how easy it is to register as an 08 school. I have always homeschooled our four kids and graduated one so far. Our two middle kids are completing high school and opting for CCP next year. My youngest is well into middle school and doing great.
08 School Templates:
We have homeschooled in Texas, Hawaii, Utah, Germany under SOFA, and now Ohio.
Each state has different regulations to follow and paperwork to complete and records to keep.
You might also like:
- College Credit Plus in Ohio
- Homeschool Space in Ohio
- Ohio Notebooking Pages
- Homeschool Space in Texas
- Homeschool Space in Hawaii
- Homeschool Space in Germany
- Homeschool Space in Utah
- High School Homeschool
- Homeschool Schedule with Teens
