Georgia State Laws

Homeschooling under the state statute. Here are the requirements for homeschooling your child under Georgia’s state statute.

1. Meet the qualification requirements to homeschool your child. You must be a parent or legal guardian before filing a declaration of intent to homeschool that child. You may allow a tutor to help homeschool your child; the teaching parent/guardian or tutor must have a high school diploma or GED.
2. Submit an annual declaration of intent to the Georgia Department of Education  within 30 days after you begin homeschooling and every year thereafter by September 1. This must include the name and age of each student, the location of your homeschool, your local school district, and the 12-month period that you’re considering to be your school year.
3. Provide the equivalent of 180 days of instruction, with each school day consisting of at least 4.5 school hours (unless your child is physically unable to meet this requirement).
4. Teach the required subjects, including reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies.
5. Write annual reports detailing the progress your child made in each required subject. This report must be kept in your records for at least three years but does not need to be submitted to public school officials.
6. Test your child at least every three years after completion of 3rd grade. You may administer the test if you do so “in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests.” Results do not need to be submitted to public schools.

Here you’ll find websites for any questions you may have about education in the state of Georgia.

• Georgia Department of Education: https://www.gadoe.org/Pages/Home.aspx
• Georgia Department of Education Homeschool page: https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Pages/Home-Schools.aspx
• U.S. Department of Education – Georgia: https://www.ed.gov/category/location/georgia
• Georgia PTA: https://www.georgiapta.org/advocacy/education-in-georgia
• List of Georgia school districts: https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_school_districts_in_Georgia

Whether you already homeschool in Georgia or are looking to do so, these resources are quite useful if you’re searching for support, co-ops, or answers to questions about homeschooling in your state.

• Blue Ridge Homeschool Connections: https://www.facebook.com/groups/290516011292951/
• HHOW Homeschool Network: https://www.facebook.com/groups/106593012796314/
• Catoosa Home Education Association: https://www.homeschool-life.com/sysfiles/member/index_public.cfm?memberid=153
• Circle of Friends: https://havenlycreations.wixsite.com/circleoffriends
• Eagle Sports of Greater Augusta: https://www.eaglesportsathletics.com/
• Epic Homeschool Network: https://epichsn.com/
• Georgia Force Christian Athletics: https://www.forcehsfootball.com/
• Hall County Home Educators: https://hallcountyhomeeducators.wordpress.com/
• Main Street School of Art: https://mainstreetschoolofart.com/
• Moultrie Christian Homeschoolers Associating Together (CHAT): https://www.moultriechat.com/
• Olive Plants Co-op Home Education Extension Program: https://oliveplantscooplagrange.wordpress.com/
• Outside the Box Homeschool Field Trips: https://www.facebook.com/groups/872940609485423/
• Sandy Plains Home Educators Raising Excellence (SPHERE): https://sandyplains.org/#/adult-ministries/sphere
• South Cobb Homeschoolers: https://schomeschoolers.blogspot.com/
• Southwest Georgia Homeschool Association: https://www.homeschool-life.com/ga/swgha/
• TeenPact Leadership: https://teenpact.com/
• The Village Homeschool Group: https://www.facebook.com/thevillagehomeschool/
• Thrive Christian Homeschool of Georgia Co-op: https://www.thrivechs.org/
• Too Cool for School Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/toocoolforschoolhomeschoolers/
• West Georgia Homeschool Association: https://wghsa.com/

One of the many benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility to explore! Here are some ideas for amazing–and educational–field trips around the great state of Georgia!

• Andersonville National Historic Site: Andersonville, GA

• The Anne Frank Exhibit: Sandy Springs, GA

• APEX Museum: Atlanta, GA

• Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum: Atlanta, GA

• Atlanta History Center: Atlanta, GA

• Bear Hollow Zoo: Athens, GA

• Chattahoochee Nature Center: Roswell, GA

• Chehaw Wild Animal Park: Albany, GA

• The Children’s Museum of Atlanta: Atlanta, GA

• CNN Studio Tour: Atlanta, GA

• Cobb County Youth Museum: Marietta, GA

• Coca-Cola Space Science Center: Columbus, GA

• Coca-Cola World: Atlanta, GA

• Elachee Nature Science Center: Gainesville, GA

• Fernbank Museum of Natural History: Atlanta, GA

• Fernbank Science Center: Atlanta, GA

• Flint RiverQuarium: Albany, GA

• Georgia Aquarium: Atlanta, GA

• Georgia Museum of Natural History: Athens, GA

• Georgia Southern Center for Wildlife Education: Statesboro, GA

• Georgia Southern Museum: Statesboro, GA

• Girl Scouts First Headquarters: Savannah, GA

• Go Fish Georgia Education Center: Perry, GA

• InterActive Neighborhood for Kids: Gainesville, GA

• Jimmy Carter National Historic Site: Plains, GA

• Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield National Park: Kennesaw, GA

• The King Center: Atlanta, GA

• The Little White House: Warm Springs, GA

• Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History: Augusta, GA

• Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site: Atlanta, GA

• The Museum of Arts & Sciences: Macon, GA

• Museum of Aviation Flight and Technology Center: Warner Robins, GA

• Museum of Design – Atlanta: Atlanta, GA

• National Science Center (Fort Discovery): Augusta, GA

• Okefenokee Swamp: Waycross, GA

• Sandy Creek Nature Center: Athens, GA

• Shenandoah Georgia Youth Science & Technology: Grantville, GA

• Teaching Museum North: Roswell, GA

• Tellus Science Museum: Cartersville, GA

• Tubman African American Museum: Macon, GA

• Wild Animal Safari: Pine Mountain, GA

• Wildlife Wonders Zoo-To-You: Cleveland, GA

• Zoo Atlanta: Atlanta, GA