How to Start Homeschooling in Texas (2026 Guide)

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps to a legal Texas homeschool - without filing a thing.

№ 01

01

Understand your legal footing.

In Texas, your homeschool is an unaccredited private school. The Texas Supreme Court settled this in Texas Education Agency v. Leeper (1994), and the compulsory attendance exemption lives in Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1). No agency registers, approves, or oversees you - the same as any private school in the state.

What this means

Your homeschool must be:

Bona fide - real instruction, not a sham
Based on curriculum in visual form (books, workbooks, video or online)
Covering the five Leeper subjects, including good citizenship

02

Confirm you're free to start - then withdraw, if enrolled.

There is no notice of intent in Texas and nobody to send one to. If your child has never enrolled in public school, you simply begin. If your child is enrolled, send a short written withdrawal letter so the school closes its attendance record - this is the one piece of paper that prevents a truancy misunderstanding.

Your withdrawal letter should state

Child's name and the date homeschooling begins
That the child will be educated in a private school setting per Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1)
A request for written confirmation of withdrawal
Keep a dated copy for your files

03

Choose a written curriculum covering the five subjects.

Texas asks that instruction be bona fide and come from curriculum in visual form - books, workbooks, video, or online programs all qualify. The required subjects are reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and a course in good citizenship. Science and history aren't mandated, but colleges expect them, so most families teach a full core.

Curriculum starting points

Any published or online program in visual form
Texas Home School Coalition curriculum guides
Co-ops, library programs & museum passes
Add science & history for college readiness

04

Build records you'll be glad to have.

Texas requires no recordkeeping - but smart families keep some anyway. A simple curriculum list documents bona fide instruction if anyone ever asks, and from ninth grade on, the transcript you build is the document colleges, employers, and the military will request.

Worth keeping

A list of curriculum used each year
Light attendance & progress notes
Sample work from each child
Grades 9-12: transcript & course descriptions

05

Tap the new Texas extras: UIL and the ESA.

Two doors opened in 2025. SB 401 lets homeschoolers join UIL sports and activities at their local school by default unless the district opts out. And SB 2 created Texas Education Freedom Accounts - homeschool students can apply for about $2,000 a year starting in 2026-27 through the Comptroller's office.

How to use them

Ask your district whether it has opted out of UIL access
UIL requires a recent norm-referenced test for eligibility
TEFA applications run through the Texas Comptroller
Funding rules are new - verify amounts each year

The Law · Texas

One route, wide open - the Texas private school model

№ 02

Homeschooling in Texas operates under private school law, not a homeschool statute. Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1) exempts private school students from compulsory attendance, and in Texas Education Agency v. Leeper (1994) the Texas Supreme Court confirmed that a home where children are taught from bona fide written curriculum is exactly such a private school. That single ruling is why Texas has no notice, no registration, and no state oversight of homeschools.

Option 01

Your Home as a Texas Private School

Best for every Texas family - it is the route, and it comes with the lightest legal load in America.

No notice, registration, or approval - ever
Teach reading, spelling, grammar, math & good citizenship
Use bona fide curriculum in visual form (print, video, or online)
No required days, hours, testing, or state records
Per Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1) and TEA v. Leeper (1994)

Requirements · Curriculum

Five subjects, one Texas twist - the good citizenship course.

№ 03

The Leeper ruling defined a legitimate Texas homeschool as one teaching these five subjects from bona fide curriculum in visual form. How you teach them - and what you add - is entirely yours. Most families round out the core with science and history, which colleges expect even though Texas doesn't require them.

01

Reading

Phonics through fluent comprehension, across genres and grade levels.

02

Spelling

Word study, phonetic patterns, and accuracy in everyday writing.

03

Grammar

Sentence structure, usage, and mechanics - the architecture of clear writing.

04

Mathematics

Numeracy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and applied reasoning.

05

Good Citizenship

The Texas signature: government, civic duty, and life in a constitutional republic.

0

Forms to file

No notice of intent, no registration, no testing reports. Texas treats your homeschool like any other private school.

5

Required subjects

Reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and a course in good citizenship - from bona fide curriculum in visual form.

1994

The year it was settled

Texas Education Agency v. Leeper confirmed homeschools are private schools under Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1).

$2,000

TEFA homeschool award

SB 2 (2025) created Education Freedom Accounts - homeschool students may receive about $2,000/year starting 2026-27.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Straight answers for Texas families before day one

№ 04

Do I need a degree or teaching certificate to homeschool in Texas?

No. Texas sets no qualification of any kind for homeschool parents - no diploma, degree, or license. Your homeschool is a private school, and Texas does not regulate private school teachers. Your only obligations are to teach bona fide curriculum in visual form covering the five Leeper subjects.

Do I really not have to notify anyone?

Yes - really. There is no notice of intent, no registration, and no homeschool office to file with, because Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1) exempts private school students from compulsory attendance and the Leeper ruling makes your homeschool a private school. If a school district ever inquires, a short letter of assurance stating that your children are being taught the required subjects from written curriculum is all it takes.

Can I withdraw my child from public school mid-year?

Yes, at any time. Send a written withdrawal letter to the school stating the date homeschooling begins and citing Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1), and keep a dated copy. Withdraw cleanly - a child who simply stops attending may be marked truant before the school knows you've started homeschooling. Once the letter is in, you may begin immediately.

Does anyone test my kids or check our records?

No. Texas requires no standardized testing, no assessments, and no records of homeschool students, and neither TEA nor your district has authority to inspect your homeschool. Keeping a curriculum list, light progress notes, and (for high schoolers) a transcript is still wise - it documents bona fide instruction and gives colleges what they'll ask for.

Can my homeschooler play UIL sports?

Yes, as of the 2025-26 school year. SB 401 (2025) flipped the default: non-enrolled students may participate in UIL activities at the school they'd be zoned to attend unless the district board votes to opt out by August 1 each year - and if it does, the closest non-opt-out school is the fallback. Expect to show academic proficiency with a recent norm-referenced test and to verify grades every six weeks like every other UIL athlete.

Is a homeschool diploma valid in Texas?

Yes. You set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript, exactly as any private school does. Texas public colleges and universities, employers, and the military accept homeschool diplomas, and state law prohibits discriminating against homeschool graduates in college admissions. Keep course descriptions alongside the transcript for selective-admissions applications.

Does Texas give homeschoolers any funding?

Yes, beginning with the 2026-27 school year. SB 2 (2025) created Texas Education Freedom Accounts: homeschool students may receive about $2,000 per year (private school students about $10,474). The first application window, February-March 2026, drew over 274,000 applications for roughly 100,000 slots, so apply early through the Texas Comptroller and treat the award as a bonus, not a budget. Accepting funds adds program rules, so read them before enrolling.

What does 'bona fide' instruction actually mean?

Not much paperwork - just honesty. The courts use bona fide to mean your homeschool is a genuine educational effort, not a cover for skipping school. Teaching the five subjects from a written, visible curriculum (books, workbooks, video, or online lessons) satisfies it. There's no minimum day count or hour log; a family that can show real curriculum and real learning meets the standard.

Resources · Texas

Where Texas-sized questions get real answers

№ 05

Official · State

Texas Education Agency

TEA's home schooling page - the state's own statement of the Leeper standard, withdrawal guidance, and answers for returning to public school.

Visit TEA

Community · Statewide

Texas Home School Coalition (THSC)

The state's largest homeschool organization - legal assistance, UIL participation help, curriculum guidance, and statewide conventions.

Visit THSC

Legal · National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Texas law, withdrawal forms, and member legal advocacy if a district ever questions your private school status.

Read the Law

Arrowstead Academy · Get the Texas Kit Free

Your Texas paperwork, done for you.

The done-for-you version of this guide is the Texas Kit — print-ready documents built for Texas law, normally $29. It’s included free the moment you start your 7-day free trial of Arrowstead Academy, the app that keeps your planning, records, and every state’s updates in one place. After your trial it’s just $59/year — less than $5 a month, cancel anytime, and your Texas Kit is yours to keep either way.

Texas Withdrawal Letter template - the one document that matters, citing Tex. Educ. Code § 25.086(a)(1), since Texas has no notice of intent to file.
Letter of Assurance template - a ready response if a district ever inquires, confirming bona fide instruction in the five Leeper subjects.
Five-Subject Planning Grid - reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship mapped week by week, with space for the science and history colleges expect.
Recordkeeping & Transcript Starter - voluntary in Texas, priceless at college application time; includes a grades 9-12 transcript template.
UIL & TEFA Cheat Sheet - the SB 401 sports-access rules and the $2,000 Education Freedom Account application timeline, in plain language.

Two Ways In