Homeschool requirements · Pennsylvania
Homeschooling in Pennsylvania
Paperwork state · Several filings a year with real deadlines.
File a notarized affidavit each year, log 180 days or 900/990 hours, keep a portfolio, test in grades 3, 5, and 8, and have an approved evaluator certify progress annually.
What Pennsylvania asks
| Notice | Annual notarized affidavit with objectives and immunization/health records to the local superintendent by August 1 (or before starting). |
|---|---|
| Days and hours | 180 days, 900 hours a year in grades 1–6, 990 in grades 7–12 |
| Subjects | English, Math, Science, Geography, Civics, History of U.S. & PA, Safety & Fire Prevention, Health & Physiology, Physical Education, Music, Art |
| Assessment | Annual evaluation by a certified evaluator (certification submitted to the district); standardized tests in grades 3, 5, and 8. |
| Records to keep | Portfolio with a log of reading materials, samples of work, and test results; attendance log. |
| Parent qualification | High school diploma or equivalent. |
| Worth knowing | 900 hours for elementary, 990 hours for secondary students. |
Deadlines
These are the dates the app tracks for Pennsylvania. Districts vary; the app lets you edit any of them.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notarized affidavit with objectives Notice · Mail it | By August 1 each year | District superintendent | Prepare drafts a cover letter listing the children and subjects, plus the course of study. The notarized affidavit form itself, the educational objectives by subject, and immunization records are added by hand; the district's form is the one that gets signed. |
| Portfolio and evaluator certification Assessment · Mail it | By June 30 each year | District superintendent (certification only) | Contemporaneous reading log by title, work samples, and test results go to your evaluator; only the certification goes to the district. |
| Standardized test (grades 3, 5, 8) Assessment · Keep in your files | By the end of the school year (grades 3, 5, 8) | Include in the portfolio | Results stay in the portfolio for the evaluator. |
What HomeSchool Scribe does in Pennsylvania
- Notarized affidavit with objectives: Prepares the notice letter and the course of study; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Portfolio and evaluator certification: Prepares the reading log, the portfolio and the attendance and hours report; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Standardized test (grades 3, 5, 8): Prepares the transcript; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; keeps it in records.
Attendance and hours fill in from the lessons you check off, so the documents above come from records you already have.
Read the law yourself
Pennsylvania Public School Code § 1327.1 · HSLDA’s Pennsylvania summary
Not legal advicePlanning summaries in plain language, reviewed 2026-09-07. Deadlines and recipients vary by district; confirm with Pennsylvania’s current law or a homeschool legal organization before you file anything. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it for every family in Pennsylvania.