Texas has no state homeschool registration, notice, testing, or reporting step. Under Leeper v. Arlington ISD (1994), home-schooled children are exempt from compulsory attendance to the same extent as private-school students, and the Texas Education Agency says parents must follow a course of study that includes good citizenship. A school district that becomes aware of a possible home-schooled student may ask the parents in writing for a letter of assurance.
What the official sources say
- Legal basis
The Texas Supreme Court upheld a ruling in Leeper et al. v. Arlington ISD et al. that children taught at home are exempt from compulsory attendance to the same extent as private-school students. TEA says home schooling has been a legal alternative since 1994.
Source: Texas Education Agency - Home Schooling - Exemption in statute
Texas Education Code section 25.086(a)(1) exempts a child from compulsory attendance who attends a private or parochial school that includes in its course a study of good citizenship.
Source: Texas Education Code, chapter 25 (sections 25.085 and 25.086) - Compulsory attendance ages
Section 25.085(b) requires attendance, unless exempted under section 25.086, for a child who is at least six years old (or younger and previously enrolled in first grade) and has not reached the 19th birthday.
Source: Texas Education Code, chapter 25 (sections 25.085 and 25.086) - State oversight
TEA states that it does not regulate, index, monitor, approve, register, or accredit home-school programs.
Source: Texas Education Agency - Home Schooling - Letter of assurance
A public school district that becomes aware of a student who may be home schooled may request in writing a letter of assurance from the parents that the student is being home schooled.
Source: Texas Education Agency - Home Schooling - Returning to public school
Texas does not award a diploma to home-schooled students. Most districts assess the mastery of courses taken at home, and the results may be used for grade placement, credit, or both.
Source: Texas Education Agency - Home Schooling
Records worth keeping in Texas
The list below mixes what the sources above require with habits that make the year easier to show later. Only the facts above are legal requirements.
- A short description of the course of study, including where good citizenship is covered.
- A dated log of completed work by subject, which helps if a district asks for a letter of assurance or a later school assesses placement.
- Book and curriculum titles, plus representative work samples.
- For high school: course titles, credits, and grades for a transcript you will issue yourself.
Where TeachKeep fits
TeachKeep is an iPhone app for recording completed learning. It keeps each child’s records separate by school year.
- Log completed learning by child, subject, and date in under a minute.
- Keep book and curriculum titles beside each activity.
- Attach photos, worksheets, or PDFs as local evidence files.
- Review a child’s school year by subject when a school asks what was covered.
Keep the Texas record as the year happens.
Log what was done, by child and subject, in under a minute.
Official sources and last check
- Texas Education Agency - Home Schooling
- Texas Education Code, chapter 25 (sections 25.085 and 25.086)
Retrieved and last checked October 18, 2026. The date records when the linked material was read. It does not guarantee that no rule changed afterward.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to register my homeschool in Texas?
No. TEA says it does not register or approve home-school programs. A district that becomes aware of a home-schooled student may ask in writing for a letter of assurance.
What subjects are required for homeschool in Texas?
TEA says parents must follow a course of study that includes good citizenship. Education Code section 25.086(a)(1) uses the same good-citizenship wording for the private-school exemption.
Does Texas require homeschool testing or attendance records?
Neither the TEA home-schooling page nor section 25.086 lists a state testing or attendance-reporting requirement. Records are still useful if a child returns to public school, because districts may assess courses for placement or credit.