Withdrawing from School – Mason Dixon Homeschoolers Association

The following has been taken from the MDHSA Law Guide, available here.

You have determined that it is imperative to remove your child from school tomorrow, if not today. What do you do?

1. Copy the Affidavit at the end of this booklet. Complete the Affidavit, except for the signature. Affidavit may be found in the Appendix.

2. Copy the appropriate Objectives. If your child is in 1st through 6th grades, use the Elementary Objectives in the Appendix. For other students, use the Secondary Objectives in the Appendix. Fill in the student’s name and the school year in the blanks. Attach this to the Affidavit.

3. If your child has an IEP in school, approval of the Objectives must be obtained and attached to the Affidavit. See Students with an IEP.

4. Write a letter to the superintendent using standard business format. The letter should include this language:

I am withdrawing my student, <student’s name> from the <name of school>. His/her medical records are on file at that school’s nurses office.

Attach this to the Affidavit.

5. Take the assembled documents to a notary public; one may be found at your local bank or your state representative’s office. Have the Affidavit notarized. The bank may charge a nominal fee for this service.

6. You can find the name of the local superintendent by calling the school district administrative offices. Obtain this information and take the notarized Affidavit and the attached documents to the post office. Mail them to the superintendent of the school district in which you live via certified mail, return receipt requested.

7. If you anticipate resistance from the school your child attended, you may be able to avoid difficulty by writing a letter in standard business format to the principal of the school that states,

My student, <child’s name>, is being withdrawn to be privately educated.

Mail this letter at the same time that you mail the Affidavit and related documents. Be sure to mail it to the school principal, however, not the superintendent.

8. Keep your child home from school the next day. If you receive any phone calls requesting information from the superintendent’s office, ask the caller to put the request in writing. If you receive a phone call from your child’s school wondering where your child is, tell the caller that the child has been removed from the public school to be privately educated.

9. If you desire to borrow the books from the local school district, which is your right under the home education law, have your child bring his books home with him the night before you plan to keep him home. You will also have to write a letter to the school district advising them of the texts that you have (be sure to list them each individually). If you need a textbook for a specific subject from the school district, request one in writing from the superintendent’s office.

10. Be sure to read the Portfolio section, to ensure that your record keeping is in compliance with the law.