Homeschooling in Hawaii

Compulsory education generally covers children who turn five by July 31 of the school year and have not turned eighteen by January 1. Kindergarten enrollment is required unless an exception applies.

Before starting, parents must submit Form 4140 or a signed, dated letter to the principal of the child's geographic public school. The notice must include the child's name, address, telephone number, birth date, and grade. Home instruction begins upon submission, and returned signatures acknowledge the notice without requiring enrollment health records, birth certificates, or proof of residency.

Chapter 12 deems a parent teaching their own child qualified. Parents are not subject to the bachelor's degree requirement that applies to alternative educational programs.

Parents must plan a structured, sequential program suited to the child's abilities, including subjects, assessment methods, materials, start and end dates, and weekly instructional hours. Routine curriculum submission is not required, and there is no fixed statewide home-school day or hour minimum.

Parents must maintain a calendar, samples of completed student work, and records of weekly instructional hours.

A progress report must be submitted annually to the designated school. Approved options include standardized achievement results, a Hawaiʻi-certified teacher evaluation, or a parent evaluation detailing progress in each subject with samples of work, tests, assignments, and grades.

Nationally normed test scores must be provided in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, and these scores may also serve as the annual progress report. Families may arrange free testing through the public school or private testing at their own expense. Because public high schools test in grade 11, parents must coordinate an acceptable grade 10 assessment rather than substituting grade 11.

Notice does not need to be refiled annually if reporting remains current, but a new notice must be submitted if the designated school changes due to a move or grade-level transition. Parents must also notify the principal when homeschooling ends.