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 |
| 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 | Educational objectives by subject, immunization and health records, plus the affidavit itself. |
| 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, hours, and grades fill in from the lessons you check off, so the documents above come from records you already have. Records are kept for 3 years, the period Pennsylvania asks for.
Read the law yourself
Not legal advicePlanning summaries in plain language, reviewed 2026-09-02. 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.