Homeschooling in NYC: The Complete Requirements Guide for 2026
Are you thinking about homeschooling in NYC and feeling buried before you even begin? I promise you are not alone, and I promise it gets easier. I have been homeschooling my kids in Brooklyn for over a decade, and the paperwork that once felt overwhelming now feels like a rhythm I move through every year.
This guide is the one I wish someone had handed me when I started. We are going to walk through every requirement, every deadline, and every email address you need, in plain language. By the time you finish reading, you will know exactly what to do and when to do it.
Before we dive in, take a deep breath and save this post to your homeschool Pinterest board so you can come back to it whenever you need it.
Who This Guide Is For
This is specifically for families homeschooling in the five boroughs of New York City. If you live outside NYC but still in New York State, your process is similar, but you will submit paperwork to your local school district superintendent instead of the NYC Office of Homeschooling. Most of the requirements in this post still apply to you, but the submission process and email addresses will be different.
The Two Email Addresses Every NYC Homeschool Parent Needs
Everything in NYC is submitted by email now, so save these two addresses right away:
For your Letter of Intent and all initial paperwork: le************@*********yc.gov
For quarterly reports and ongoing communication: ho********@*********yc.gov
The NYC Office of Homeschooling reviews everything in the order received, so a clean, complete submission gets processed faster. Submit your documents as PDF or JPG attachments. Only a parent or legal guardian can submit the Letter of Intent. The NYC office will not accept submissions from guidance counselors, tutors, or other third parties.
Step 1: The Letter of Intent (LOI)
Your Letter of Intent is the document that officially tells NYC you are homeschooling. It is the very first step.
When Is the LOI Due?
Under New York State law, the LOI is due by July 1st for the upcoming school year. The homeschool year runs July 1st through June 30th.
Good news for NYC families: NYC’s Office of Homeschooling accepts LOI submissions for the current school year through April 30th. If you decide to start homeschooling mid-year or you move into NYC after the year begins, you have 14 days from the date you begin homeschooling to submit your LOI.
So if you are sitting on the fence in October, you have not missed the window. You can still start.
What to Include in Your LOI
Your LOI does not have to be fancy. It needs to include:
- Your child’s full legal name
- Your child’s date of birth and current age
- The grade level your child would be entering
- Your full name as parent or legal guardian
- Your home address
- Your contact phone number and email
- A clear statement that you intend to homeschool your child for the upcoming school year
If you are new to NYC Public Schools or your address has changed, you will also need to include proof of your child’s age (birth certificate, passport, or baptism record) and proof of address.
Send the LOI as a PDF or JPG attachment to le************@*********yc.gov. You will need to submit a separate LOI for each child you are homeschooling.
What Happens Next
Within 10 business days of receiving your LOI, the school district must send you a copy of the homeschool regulations and a form for your Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). This is your green light to begin preparing the next document.
Step 2: The Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)
If the LOI is the front door, the IHIP is the floor plan. It is your roadmap for the school year, showing the district what you plan to teach and how.
When Is the IHIP Due?
You have four weeks from the date you receive the regulations packet, or by August 15th, whichever is later. For most families on a standard July 1 LOI timeline, that means you are aiming for an August 15th submission.
If you start homeschooling mid-year, your IHIP timeline shifts to match when you receive the packet from the district.
Free Download
Letter of intent Template
What the IHIP Must Include
According to NYS regulation 100.10, your IHIP must contain:
- Your child’s name, age, and grade level
- A list of syllabi, curriculum materials, textbooks, or your plan of instruction for each required subject (more on what those are below)
- The dates you plan to submit your four quarterly reports
- The names of the individuals providing instruction (usually you)
- If your high schooler is doing dual enrollment at a college full time, a statement identifying the institution and subjects
You do not need to overthink this. Your IHIP is a plan, not a contract. You can deviate from it during the year. What matters is that it shows the district you have a thoughtful plan for covering the required subjects.
Required Subjects by Grade
This is where most new homeschool parents feel the most pressure, so let me lay it out clearly.
Grades 1 through 6: Arithmetic, reading, spelling, writing, English language, geography, United States history, science, health education, music, visual arts, physical education, and bilingual education or English as a second language if needed.
Grades 7 and 8 (cumulative across both grades): English (two units), history and geography (two units), science (two units), math (two units), PE (regular basis), health (regular basis), art (half unit), music (half unit), practical arts (regular basis), and library skills (regular basis).
Grades 9 through 12 (cumulative across all four grades): English (four units), social studies (four units, including one unit American history, half unit participation in government, half unit economics), math (two units), science (two units), art or music (one unit), health (half unit), PE (two units), and three units of electives.
A unit equals 6,480 minutes of instruction per school year, which works out to about 108 hours.
Plus, at some point during K through 12, you must cover: patriotism and citizenship, drug/alcohol/tobacco education, traffic and bicycle safety, and fire and arson safety. Once during the first eight grades you must also cover US history, New York State history, and the US and NY State Constitutions.
That list looks intimidating, but most of these subjects flow naturally into one another when you are homeschooling. You will hit them without trying as hard as you think.
What Happens After You Submit Your IHIP
Within 10 business days of receiving your IHIP, the NYC Office of Homeschooling will either approve it or send you a notice of deficiency listing what needs to be fixed. If you get a deficiency notice, you have 15 days to submit a revised IHIP.
Once your IHIP is approved, you will receive a Letter of Compliance (LOC). This is the document that confirms your homeschool program is in compliance with NYSED Part 100.10. Hold onto it. You will need it if you ever want to request special education services from the CSE.
Step 3: Quarterly Reports
Quarterly reports are check-ins you submit four times during the school year showing what your child has been learning.
When Are Quarterly Reports Due?
Here is something a lot of guides get wrong: you set your own quarterly report dates in your IHIP. The regulations say they need to be spaced in “even and logical periods,” but the specific dates are up to you.
A common schedule looks like:
- Q1: November 15
- Q2: January 31
- Q3: April 15
- Q4: June 30 (this one includes the annual assessment)
But you can space yours however makes sense for your family. Once you list them in your IHIP and the district approves it, those are your deadlines.
What Each Quarterly Report Must Include
- The number of hours of instruction during that quarter
- A description of the material covered in each subject from your IHIP
- Either a letter grade or a written narrative evaluating your child’s progress
- A written explanation if you covered less than 80% of the material you planned for that quarter in any subject
Submit your quarterly reports to ho********@*********yc.gov as a PDF. NYC suggests using the subject line: “QR, your child’s name, NYC student ID number” if you have one.
Required Hours of Instruction
You need to provide the substantial equivalent of 180 days of instruction per year, with:
- Grades 1-6: 900 hours per year
- Grades 7-12: 990 hours per year
Keep your own attendance records. The district can request them at any time.
Step 4: Annual Assessment
This is the piece that intimidates new homeschool parents the most, but it is more flexible than you think. The annual assessment is required every year starting in 1st grade. You will submit it along with your fourth quarterly report.
Your Two Options
Option A: Standardized Test
You can choose from any of these tests: the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the California Achievement Test, the Stanford Achievement Test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the Metropolitan Achievement Test, a NY State Education Department test, or another test approved by NYSED.
A passing score means either above the 33rd percentile on national norms, OR one full academic year of growth compared to the previous year’s test.
Option B: Written Narrative Evaluation
A written narrative is a progress evaluation prepared by a NY State certified teacher, a home instruction peer review panel, or another approved person who has interviewed your child and reviewed a portfolio of their work, this could be the homeschool parent. The narrative certifies whether your child has made adequate academic progress.
Which Option You Can Use, By Grade
- Grades 1-3: Written narrative every year is allowed.
- Grades 4-8: Written narrative is allowed every other year. In the off years, you need a standardized test.
- Grades 9-12: Standardized test required every year.
The person preparing your narrative must be approved by the superintendent, and any cost is paid by you..
What If Something Goes Wrong: Probation
If your child’s annual assessment falls below the required benchmarks (below the 33rd percentile, less than one year of growth, or a narrative that says they did not make adequate progress), your homeschool program is placed on probation for up to two school years.
You will submit a remediation plan to the district addressing the gaps. If your child meets at least 75% of the plan’s objectives by the end of any semester, you stay on track. If not, the district can determine your program is not in compliance.
Probation is not the end of the world, but it is something to take seriously. If your child is struggling, reach out for support before assessment time, not after.
Pro Tips From a Brooklyn Homeschool Mom of 10+ Years
Keep digital copies of everything. Every LOI, every IHIP, every quarterly report, every email confirmation. I save mine in a Google Drive folder organized by school year. If something ever gets misplaced on the district’s end, you have proof.
Set calendar reminders for your quarterly report dates. Put them in your phone with a one-week heads up so you are never scrambling.
Take your email confirmations seriously. After you send any document, save the sent email and any confirmation reply from the office. That email is your receipt.
Track hours as you go. Do not try to reconstruct 12 weeks of hours the night before a quarterly report is due. I learned this the hard way. A simple weekly log on your phone takes 30 seconds and saves you hours of stress later.
Save samples of your child’s work. Photos of projects, finished worksheets, writing samples. These come in handy for narratives and just as a beautiful keepsake of your year.
What About OMNY Cards, Field Trips, and Special Services?
NYC offers a few resources to homeschool families as a courtesy:
OMNY Cards are not required by Part 100.10, but NYC provides them to homeschool students for educational activities. After your LOI and IHIP are both submitted, you will receive a link to request OMNY cards in your Letter of Compliance email.
Special Education Services are available to homeschool students through the CSE (Committee on Special Education). To request services, you need to submit your Letter of Compliance to the CSE along with your service request.
Public school programs, sports, and extracurriculars are generally not available to NYC homeschool students. Teachers from NYC public schools do not provide instruction to homeschoolers, and homeschoolers do not receive resources like computers or textbooks from the DOE.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I am starting mid-year?
You have 14 days from the day you begin homeschooling to submit your LOI. The district will send your IHIP packet within 10 business days of receiving your LOI, and your timeline begins from there.
How detailed does my IHIP need to be?
Detailed enough to show you have a thoughtful plan for each required subject, but not so detailed that you can’t adapt. List your curriculum, your teaching approach, and a brief outline of what you will cover. You can adjust as the year goes on.
What about socialization?
NYC has one of the most vibrant homeschool communities in the country. Co-ops, hybrid programs, museum classes, library programs, park groups, and homeschool meetups happen across all five boroughs. Your kids will not be isolated unless you actively work to isolate them.
What if my child has an IEP or 504?
You can still homeschool. Submit your Letter of Compliance to the CSE after it is issued, and you can continue receiving services through the public school system while homeschooling.
Do I need to be a certified teacher to homeschool in NYC?
No. New York does not require homeschool parents to hold any teaching credentials.
One Thing to Watch For: Personal Finance Education
Heads up: NYSED has adopted new requirements for personal finance and climate education for public schools, starting with the 2026-2027 school year. These changes amend section 100.2 of the regulations, which governs public schools, NOT section 100.10, which governs homeschoolers.
So as of right now, homeschool families are not required to add personal finance or climate education to their IHIPs. But this is something to keep an eye on. If NYSED updates the homeschool regulations to align with the new public school requirements, I will update this post and let you know in my newsletter.
If you want to start incorporating personal finance into your homeschool now, it folds beautifully into math, social studies, and life skills, and your kids will thank you later.
We have a whole line of resources and tools available on Amazon.
Visit the Blooming Brilliant Homeschoolers Author Page to see available titles.
You Can Do This
I know this all looks like a lot when you are reading it for the first time. Take it one step at a time, in order, and give yourself permission to learn as you go. You do not have to have it all figured out before you start. You just have to start.
Thousands of NYC families homeschool successfully every year. You are about to be one of them.
If you found this guide helpful, please save it to your homeschool Pinterest board so you have it when you need it. And if you want ongoing support, I send a weekly email packed with NYC homeschool tips, resource recommendations, and encouragement. You can subscribe at the top of this page.
