Guide to Homeschooling in Hawaii

To many of us, homeschooling in Hawaii might seem like a fantasy! However, as a military wife, I personally know many families who have lived, are living, or will be living in Hawaii…many of those who have considered, or are considering, homeschooling. As there are so many benefits to homeschooling (for both military families and other families), homeschooling or online homeschooling in Hawaii is a reality for so many people!

If you are interested in requirements for homeschooling in Hawaii, you’ve come to the right place.

Hawaii State Department of Education and Homeschooling

Based on their website, the Hawaii State Department of Education “has a legitimate interest in and responsibility for the appropriate education of all school age children in the State of Hawaii and recognizes homeschooling as an alternative to compulsory school attendance. Homeschooling is a parent-initiated educational alternative.”

Homeschooling Requirements in Hawaii

• In order to homeschool your child, you do NOT need a certain educational background or training. By homeschooling, you are making yourself responsible for the child’s total educational program including all extracurricular activities, such as sports.

• The first step to homeschooling in Hawaii is to submit a notice of intent to homeschool. This can be done through this form and should be sent to the principal of the public school that your child is zoned to locally.

• After you send this notice of intent, you may begin to homeschool immediately. You do not need to present a birth certificate or proof of residence since you are not required to officially enroll and unenroll homeschooled children. Health records are also not required for homeschooled children. You will know the notice of intent is received by the school because the principal and superintendent will sign it or they will write “acknowledged” on the bottom and include their signature, sending the original letter back to the homeschooling parent. Copies of the letter will be kept at the school and district levels. You will only need to submit this letter of intent at the start of your homeschooling journey, if your family were to move to another neighborhood, OR when the child transitions from elementary to intermediate/middle school or from intermediate/middle school to high school.

• After you have homeschooled your child for each academic school year, you are responsible for submitting an annual progress report which demonstrates that your child is performing satisfactorily in all content areas.

• Your local school will inform you what general units of study and skills should be included for certain grade levels. You are not responsible for sharing your curriculum to the school; however, you should keep records in the case that the school has “reasonable cause to believe that there may be educational neglect.” The curriculum that you use must:
  • Be organized, structured, and focused on educational objectives that your child needs
  • Be cumulative and sequential
  • Provide a range of skills and knowledge
  • Take the students’ interests, abilities, and needs into account

Accessing More Information

Access this link for further information on topics such as:

• appropriate methods for demonstrating your child’s satisfactory progress
• assessments for homeschooled students
• homeschooling high school aged students
• ending homeschooling and reenrolling in public schools
• transitioning to college after homeschooling
• standards and skills for various subjects

Supporting Homeschooling in Hawaii

There you have it; the information above is the basics about requirements to homeschool in Hawaii. If you’re feeling like you might need more support, reach out to our academic advisors at Dailies. We have a variety of experience in the educational realm and can help break down this homeschooling information so it’s a bit less overwhelming and a bit more manageable for you to comprehend.