How New York homeschool filing works
Under New York's Home Instruction regulation (8 NYCRR § 100.10), you don't file with the state Department of Education. You file with the superintendent of the school district where your child resides. That single office receives every required document over the course of the year:
- Letter of Intent — before you begin, or within 14 days of withdrawing from school.
- Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) — by August 15, or within four weeks of receiving the district's response to your Letter of Intent.
- Four Quarterly Reports — spread across the school year, roughly every 45 days of instruction.
- Annual Assessment — submitted with the 4th Quarterly Report at the end of the year.
One important distinction: families who live in New York City do not file with a neighborhood school district. Everything goes to the city's centralized Office of Home Schooling.
New York City families
If you live within the five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island), submit all of your documents to the NYC Department of Education's centralized home schooling office — not to a local school.
NYC DOE — Office of Home Schooling
333 7th Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 482-5290
Contact details change occasionally — always confirm the current address and email on the NYC DOE home schooling page before mailing documents.
You can send your Letter of Intent and IHIP by email or by mail. The Office of Home Schooling responds to your Letter of Intent with a packet of instructions and the deadline for your IHIP. Keep copies of everything you send and the date you sent it.
Families in the rest of New York State
Outside of New York City, you file with the superintendent of your local school district — the public district that covers your home address, even if your child has never attended public school. Every district handles its own homeschool paperwork, so you'll need to find the right office and confirm how they prefer to receive documents (mail, email, or a secure upload portal).
Find your school district
Not sure which district covers your address? Here are the most reliable ways to find out:
- Check a property tax or school tax bill. The school district listed on your tax bill is almost always your resident district.
- Search your address on the NYSED district directory. The New York State Education Department maintains a directory of every school district in the state. Look up your district by name or location to get its official contact information.
- Call your nearest public school. The school's main office can tell you which district your street belongs to and transfer you to the district office.
Find the superintendent's contact info
Once you know your district, the superintendent's name, mailing address, and office phone are usually listed in the "Administration" or "Contact Us" section of the district's official website. Address your Letter of Intent to the Superintendent of Schools at that district. If the district lists a dedicated homeschool or home instruction contact, use that — it tends to be faster.
A quick search like "[your district name] superintendent contact" almost always turns up the right office within the first result.
What gets submitted where
Every required document goes to the same office — either your district superintendent or the NYC Office of Home Schooling. Here's the full list and when each is due.
Letter of Intent
Sent before you begin home instruction, or within 14 days of withdrawing your child from school. The district must respond within 10 business days with a packet and the IHIP due date. Pennsole's free Letter of Intent generator produces a clean, ready-to-send PDF.
Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)
Due by August 15 (for the upcoming year) or within four weeks of receiving the district's response to your Letter of Intent. The IHIP lists your child's syllabus, materials, and instructional plan for each required subject. Members can build and export the IHIP inside Pennsole.
Quarterly Reports
Four reports per school year, spaced roughly every 45 days of instruction. Each reports the hours completed, subjects covered, and a grade or narrative evaluation. Pennsole pulls the instructional hours straight from your daily Planner logs and pre-fills the subjects from your IHIP.
Annual Assessment (with the 4th Quarterly Report)
Submitted at the end of the year alongside the 4th Quarterly Report. Options depend on grade level: a written narrative evaluation (grades 1–3 and alternating years in grades 4–8) or a standardized test (required every other year in grades 4–8 and annually in grades 9–12). Pennsole's Annual Assessment tracker helps you record scores and narratives.
Tips for a smooth submission
- Keep a paper and digital copy of every document you send, plus the date and method of delivery.
- Send by a trackable method when possible — certified mail, or an email you can search later. This is your proof of compliance.
- Confirm the current address before mailing. Superintendent offices move, and the NYC office updates its contact info periodically.
- Reply promptly if the district requests changes to your IHIP or a report. A quick, friendly response keeps the year on track.