Homeschooling in Vermont, Made Simple

Homeschooling in Vermont? Vermont homeschooling runs through a yearly enrollment notice to the Agency of Education — more structured than some states, but still entirely within a family’s control. The heaviest lift isn’t the form. It’s teaching six required subjects yourself while keeping your week intact. That’s what Get Classically Educated was built to solve. Live, expert-led classical classes carry the teaching load, so your child gets a rigorous education and your family keeps its time — on just four hours a week.

Explore GCE: Elementary · Middle School · High School · Homeschooling by State

Is Homeschooling Legal in Vermont?

Not legal advice. Get Classically Educated is an education provider — not a law firm or legal counsel. This is a plain-English summary for general information only; homeschool laws change and can vary by district, so always confirm current requirements with your state before you begin.

Yes. Vermont’s home study law (16 V.S.A. §§ 11(a)(21), 166b) was significantly simplified in 2023. Here’s what’s required today:

• Send an annual enrollment notice. Each year, submit an enrollment notice to the Secretary of Education for each child, through the Agency of Education’s website. It includes your child’s name, age, and birthdate; parent contact info; an attestation that you’ll assess your child’s progress at year’s end and keep that record; and an attestation that your child will get the equivalent of 175 days of instruction in the required subjects.
• Get your acknowledgment. Within 10 business days of a complete notice, the Agency sends written acknowledgment that your child is enrolled in a lawful home study program. Keep it for your records.
• Assess your child annually. At the end of each school year, you assess progress using one of several accepted methods — a standardized test, a report from a Vermont-certified teacher, a portfolio with work samples, online academy grades, or a GED. You keep the record; you don’t have to submit it.

As of the 2023 law change, Vermont no longer requires you to submit a minimum course of study, prior-year progress evidence, or the names of everyone providing instruction — the process is genuinely lighter than it used to be.

What Vermont Requires You to Teach

Not legal advice. The subjects and rules described here are general information. Get Classically Educated is an education provider, not a law firm or legal counsel — confirm requirements with your state.

Vermont’s required subjects are broader than most states:

1. Basic communication skills (reading, writing, and the use of numbers)
2. Citizenship, history, and government (Vermont and U.S.)
3. Physical education and comprehensive health education
4. English, American, and other literature
5. The natural sciences
6. The fine arts

Here’s where Get Classically Educated fits, and we’ll be straight with you about it: our program covers citizenship, history, government, literature, and the fine arts deeply — great books, writing, logic, rhetoric, and civics are the heart of a classical education — and we add the natural sciences through hands-on research and experiments. The one area we intentionally leave to you is the numbers/math component, so you can pair GCE with whatever math curriculum fits your child, and physical education is naturally left to your family’s own routine. Because our program only takes about four hours of live class a week, you’ll have plenty of room to round out the rest. You stay fully compliant with Vermont law, and your child gets a classical education most schools can’t touch.

How to Start Homeschooling in Vermont

Not legal counsel. This is a general guide, not legal advice. Verify the current steps with your state or school district before you begin.

1. If your child is currently in public school, plan your withdrawal alongside your enrollment notice.
2. Submit your annual enrollment notice to the Secretary of Education through the Agency of Education’s website for each child.
3. Wait for your written acknowledgment of receipt (within 10 business days) and keep it on file.
4. Choose a curriculum covering the six required subjects and plan your year-end assessment method.

We take the heaviest part — the actual teaching — off your plate.

Why Vermont Families Choose Get Classically Educated

Vermont gives you the freedom to homeschool. We give you a way to do it well without losing your life to it. That promise has a name: 4 Hours to Freedom. Your child attends about four hours of live, expert-led class each week and does no more than four hours of independent work a day — leaving real time for family, faith, activities, and rest.

What sets the program apart:

• Live, expert-led classes. Real teachers, real discussion — not videos your child watches alone.
• A true classical education. The trivium — grammar, logic, and rhetoric — taught through great books, writing, and Socratic discussion, so your child learns to think, not just memorize.
• Science, research, and experiments built in. The base program trades rote math drills for hands-on science and real research skills.
• Grades 3 through 12, one continuous journey. A coherent, rigorous path from the elementary years to graduation.
• One flat tuition. $1,200 per year for the full-year base program — no per-course surprises.

Vermont Homeschool FAQ

Do I have to notify the state to homeschool in Vermont?
Yes — you submit an annual enrollment notice to the Secretary of Education for each child through the Agency of Education’s website, and you’ll receive written acknowledgment within 10 business days.

Does my child have to be tested?
You assess your child’s progress annually using one of several accepted methods (standardized test, certified-teacher report, portfolio, online academy grades, or GED). The assessment record stays with you — it isn’t submitted to the state.

Vermont requires several subjects — does GCE cover them all?
GCE covers citizenship, history, government, literature, and fine arts deeply, plus natural sciences through research and experiments. The numbers/math component and physical education are left to your family; our four-hour weekly schedule leaves plenty of room to add them.

What grades do you serve?
Grades 3 through 12 — one continuous classical education from the elementary years through high school graduation.

How much time does it take each week?
About four hours of live class per week, with independent work capped around four hours a day. We call it 4 Hours to Freedom.