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Texas is a homeschool-friendly state. There are very few regulations you must know about, and there is no local or statewide oversight. By following just a few simple guidelines, you can soon be on your way to homeschooling in Texas!
If your child is in public school, you start homeschooling in Texas by sending a letter to the local school board stating your intent to homeschool. If your child was enrolled in public school the prior year and you decide over the summer to homeschool your child for the next school year, you should still inform the school. You do not need to obtain permission from the superintendent or other authority, and the district cannot deny your right to homeschool. If your child has never attended public school in Texas, there is no need to register or contact the local, district, or state board of education.
In a 1994 Texas Supreme Court case, Arlington, Texas v. Leeper1 (Agency, 2024), the court ruled that homeschooling families can educate their children at home as a private school. As such, homeschoolers in Texas are exempt from compulsory attendance at a public school.
According to the law, your child “who is age six as of September 1 of the current school year and who has not yet reached his 18th birthday must attend school through the year in which he turns 18 unless he has graduated.”2
There are no state testing requirements, no reporting requirements, and no need to submit a list of curricula used.3
You must use a visual curriculum consisting of books, workbooks, written materials, online courses, or videos. The curriculum must cover:
Those are the only required subjects.
A unique Texas homeschool curriculum requirement is teaching good citizenship. You can think of good citizenship as a civics course. Classes could include understanding how local and state governments work, the rights of citizens to be involved in government, and the histories of Texas and the United States.
The state requires you to homeschool in good faith to educate your child and not as a means to neglect a child’s educational needs.
While there are no record-keeping requirements, it may be in your child’s best interest to keep a transcript of courses and grades if they need to return to public school or a college admissions office wants to see them.
Homeschooling in Houston falls under the same state laws as the rest of Texas. You must send a letter to the school informing them of your decision to withdraw your child. If your child has never attended a public school in Texas, you have no reporting requirement.
Homeschooling in Texas falls under the same laws as private schools, so homeschoolers do not have to follow the public-school attendance requirements. You are allowed to determine the number of days you homeschool your child. The law does require you to provide a “bona fide” education, which includes using a curriculum and teaching the required subjects.
There is no minimum number of hours you must homeschool each day. An excellent homeschool education does not have to take six or more hours daily. All About Reading, All About Spelling, and All About Math can each be done in 20 minutes a day. Elementary students can complete grammar and good citizenship courses in less than 2 hours. High school-level work might take an additional hour.
Currently, there is no payment for homeschooling. However, in May 2025, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill SB2 to establish an education savings account program. This program could potentially provide funds to qualifying homeschoolers. The provisions have not been finalized, so families should stay informed on the status of the Texas EAS program. You can learn more at the Texas Homeschool Coalition’s school choice page.
If your child has never attended public school in Texas, you do not need to inform the school district of your decision to homeschool. If your child has attended in the past, your only requirement is a letter notifying the school that you will be homeschooling. The Texas Homeschool Coalition provides a sample letter you can use.
Once you have removed your child from public school and submitted a letter stating your intent to homeschool, often the best first step is a period of de-schooling. This is a time to unwind from the structures and routines of public school and gradually incorporate home education into your lifestyle. How long it takes to de-school depends on your child’s temperament and how long they were in the public school system. It will look different for each family.
Compliance with Texas homeschool law is simple. If your child is in a public school, send a letter to the school informing them of your decision to homeschool.
Choose a written or visual curriculum in some form that includes reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship.
Continue your child’s education from age 6 through age 18
Find a Curriculum
Reading and spelling are 50% of the Texas homeschool requirements, so those subjects matter. Ensure your child gets the best possible reading and spelling foundation by using All About Learning Press materials. Thousands of families prefer All About Reading and All About Spelling for their parent-friendly ease of use and superior results.
Keep Records (Optional but Helpful)
You don’t have to keep records, but it can be a smart move. Save lesson plans, great work samples, attendance, or test scores in a simple binder. It’ll make things easier if you move, apply to college, or need to show proof of progress later on.
Workspace (Optional)
You don’t need a fancy schoolroom. Some kids do better at a desk, others thrive on the couch. Try different setups to see what works best for your child.
Homeschooling in Texas is less regulated than in many other states, but there are still a few structures you can put in place to help give your child an excellent education.
Develop a schedule. Most homeschool families find that setting up and following a daily schedule helps to keep their days on track and ensure lessons are done consistently.
Plan ahead, but not too far ahead. Map out weekly lessons using a lesson planner. However, don’t try to plan more than a couple of weeks in advance. Life happens, and things change. You don’t want to constantly rewrite your lesson plans if you get a little behind or take longer on a lesson.
Stay organized. You can do something as simple as keeping all books and materials in one box per student. They pull the box out when it’s time for school, and at the end of the day, everything goes back in the box to be put away.
Develop a lifestyle of learning. Anything can be an opportunity to learn, including how to help around the house as a team, family read-aloud times, or exploring new hobbies. Allow some time for your child to pursue their interests.
Joining a co-op can give you support, access to curriculum sources, and group learning activities or field trips. The Texas Homeschool Coalition maintains a database of homeschool support groups in Texas as a convenient way to connect with other homeschoolers in your region.
The law was signed in May of 2025, establishing an education savings account or ESA, with a potential implementation in late 2026. The program will be state-funded, but funds are limited, so only a small percentage of students in Texas will benefit from the program.
Any parent can homeschool in Texas regardless of their level of education. There are no teaching credentials required.
Yes. The parent maintains responsibility to ensure their child’s education is legitimate and covers the required subjects of reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship. But you are allowed to delegate the teaching duties to someone else.
Disclaimers:
All About Learning Press cannot offer legal advice. We recommend that parents educate themselves on local and state regulations from government websites or by contacting a local homeschool advocacy group.
All information is correct as of May 2025
Resources
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1Texas Education Agency https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/general-information/finding-a-school-for-your-child/home-schooling
2The Texas Homeschool Coalition https://thsc.org/homeschool-in-texas/
3Texas Home Educators https://texashomeeducators.org/start-here/
