How to Homeschool in Hawaii (2026 Guide)

The short version

Hawaii has one legal pathway for homeschooling: submit a notice of intent to your child’s local public school before you start, and you can begin the same day. No prior approval is needed, and no health records or proof of residency are required. Once you are underway, you must keep a record of your planned curriculum, submit an annual progress report showing satisfactory progress, and provide standardized test scores at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Hawaii does not have a state voucher, scholarship, or education savings account program for homeschool families as of the date of this review.

Legal basis

Hawaii’s compulsory attendance law is HRS § 302A-1132. It requires children who turn five by July 31 and have not yet turned eighteen by January 1 of a given school year to attend a public or private school — unless they qualify for a recognized exception. Homeschooling is one of those exceptions: the statute provides an exemption “[w]here… notification of intent to home school has been submitted to the principal of the public school that the child would otherwise be required to attend.”

The procedures that give that exception its practical shape are set out in Hawaii Administrative Rules Title 8, Chapter 12, Compulsory Attendance Exceptions (HAR Chapter 12). Chapter 12 is published by the Hawaii State Department of Education (DOE) and is available as a PDF from the Board of Education website. The DOE’s primary homeschool guidance page is at hawaiipublicschools.org/enrolling-in-school/homeschool/.

HAR § 8-12-1 states the purpose plainly: implementing the compulsory attendance exception is “not intended to violate the rights and convictions of parents to home school.” Homeschooling is characterized as a parent-initiated educational alternative — not a school-initiated program and not a mechanism for releasing students with disciplinary problems.

Notice of intent

What to submit

Before starting homeschooling, you must provide the principal of your child’s local public school with a notice of intent. HAR § 8-12-13. You have two options:

Form 4140 — the DOE’s Exceptions to Compulsory Education form, available as a PDF from the DOE website. Complete the top section with your child’s name, student ID number (if known), birth date, telephone number, address, school, complex area, and grade level. In Section B, check “Homeschooling” and enter the start date.
A letter of intent — a signed letter containing your child’s name, address, telephone number, birth date, grade level, and your signature and date.

You do not need to provide a birth certificate, proof of residency, or health records such as a TB clearance or Form 14. HAR § 8-12-13; DOE FAQ.

Where to submit

Submit to the principal of the geographic public school your child would otherwise attend based on their age-appropriate grade level. Use the DOE’s Find Your School tool to identify the correct school. If your child was previously enrolled in a public school, notify that school to withdraw them.

When you can start

Homeschooling may begin as soon as you submit the signed Form 4140 or letter of intent. You do not need to wait for a response. DOE FAQ.

The school will return your Form 4140 or letter after the principal and complex area superintendent have signed to acknowledge receipt. The acknowledgment is a record-keeping step, not an approval — the principal and superintendent are confirming they received your notice, not granting permission. Form 4140 Instructions (Rev. 8/23).

When to re-submit

You do not need to submit a new notice every year as long as you are continuing to meet the annual progress monitoring requirements. A new notice is required when:

Your family moves to another school’s geographic area, or
Your child transitions to a different school level (for example, from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school). HAR § 8-12-13(c); Form 4140 Instructions.

If you move out of state, contact the school so your child’s name can be removed from the state homeschool roster.

Required subjects

Parents bear full responsibility for their child’s educational program, including instruction, materials, and extracurricular activities. HAR § 8-12-13(d).

HAR § 8-12-15 requires you to keep a planned curriculum record that includes start and end dates, weekly instructional hours, and the subject areas to be covered. The statute identifies the following subject areas by level:

Elementary curriculum may include:

Subject area
Language arts
Mathematics
Social studies
Science
Art
Music
Health
Physical education

Secondary curriculum may include:

Subject area
Social studies
English
Mathematics
Science
Health
Physical education
Guidance

The curriculum must be structured, based on educational objectives, cumulative and sequential, provide a range of up-to-date knowledge and skills, and take into account your child’s interests, needs, and abilities. It must also identify the method you use to determine mastery of material and include a bibliography of textbooks and other instructional materials in standard format (author, title, publisher, date of publication). HAR § 8-12-15.

The DOE does not require you to submit your curriculum for advance review unless the school has reasonable cause to believe there is educational neglect. The principal at your school of record may request to review the curriculum if your annual progress report does not demonstrate satisfactory progress.

The DOE’s Subject Matter Standards page publishes Hawaii’s content standards by grade level and subject. You are not required to follow those standards directly, but they can serve as a useful planning reference. HAR also recognizes that parents teaching their own child are considered qualified instructors. HAR § 8-12-19.

Annual progress report

At the end of each school year, you must submit an annual progress report to the principal of your school of record demonstrating satisfactory progress in all content areas. HAR § 8-12-18. Satisfactory progress may be shown in any of the following ways:

A score on a nationally-normed standardized achievement test demonstrating grade-level achievement appropriate to the child’s age
Progress on a nationally-normed standardized achievement test equivalent to one grade level per calendar year, even if overall achievement falls short of grade-level standards
A written evaluation by a person certified to teach in Hawaii that the child demonstrates appropriate grade-level achievement or significant annual advancement commensurate with their abilities
A written evaluation by the parent that includes: a description of the child’s progress in each subject area; representative samples of the child’s work; and representative tests and assignments including grades for courses if grades were given

If the principal determines that progress is not satisfactory, they are required to meet with you to discuss the problem and develop a plan for improvement.

Standardized testing

Hawaii requires test scores from a nationally-normed standardized assessment at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. HAR § 8-12-18; HRS § 302A-1132.

You have options for meeting this requirement:

Your child may take the assessment at the local public school as part of the Statewide Testing Program
You may arrange for private testing at a nationally-normed standardized assessment of your choosing, at your own expense
You may request, and the principal may approve, other means of evaluation

Note: While HAR Chapter 12 cites grade 10 testing, the DOE’s FAQ explains that Hawaii public school students are currently tested at grade 11 rather than grade 10. Confirm current expectations with your school of record. DOE FAQ.

No credits (Carnegie units) are awarded for time spent homeschooling. HAR § 8-12-20.

Record keeping

HAR § 8-12-15 requires parents to maintain a written record of the planned curriculum. That record must include:

The start and end dates of the program
A record of the number of hours per week devoted to instruction
The subject areas to be covered, organized by level (elementary or secondary)
The method used to determine mastery of material
A bibliography of textbooks and instructional materials (author, title, publisher, date; for periodicals, also volume, issue, and page numbers)

Your curriculum record is kept at home and is not routinely submitted to the DOE. The principal at your school of record may request to review it if there is reasonable cause to believe educational neglect is occurring. Reasonable cause cannot be based on your refusal to comply with requests that exceed the requirements of Chapter 12. HAR § 8-12-17.

In addition to the curriculum record, it is practical to maintain:

Copies of your signed Form 4140 or acknowledged letter of intent
Annual progress reports you have submitted
Standardized test scores from required testing grades
Samples of your child’s work to support your annual progress report

Scholarships and funding programs

Hawaii does not have a state-funded voucher, education savings account (ESA), or tax-credit scholarship program for homeschool families as of the date of this review.

Article X, Section 1 of the Hawaii State Constitution requires the state to maintain a “general and uniform system of public schools,” and the State Attorney General has interpreted this provision as limiting the redirection of public funds to private institutions. Legislative proposals related to vouchers — including House Bill 1272 (2023) — have not advanced. A more recent proposal, House Bill 273 (introduced January 2025), would create a need-based school choice scholarship for lower-income families for nonpublic school tuition; that bill was under review as of the date of this page.

Families covering homeschool expenses on their own have access to two federal tax-advantaged savings vehicles:

Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) — contributions of up to $2,000 per child per year. Growth and qualified withdrawals for elementary and secondary educational expenses are federal-tax-free.
529 savings plan — Hawaii’s HI529 plan allows tax-advantaged saving. Federal law permits up to $10,000 per year in 529 funds to be used for K–12 private school tuition. Hawaii does not offer a state income tax deduction for 529 contributions, so some families compare out-of-state plan options.

Additionally, homeschooled students who have been evaluated and certified as needing special education services are entitled to receive those mandated services at their home public school site upon request. HAR § 8-12-14.

Withdrawing from public school

If your child is currently enrolled in a public school or public charter school, notify the school that you intend to withdraw your child and homeschool. Submit Form 4140 or a letter of intent to the principal of that school — the same document serves as both the withdrawal notification and the notice of intent to homeschool. DOE FAQ.

You do not need the school’s permission to withdraw. No birth certificate, proof of residency, or health records are required. DOE FAQ.

Re-enrolling in public school

When you end homeschooling, notify the principal of the school where you filed your notice of intent. Your child must re-enroll in the local public school or a licensed private school within five school days, unless a new approved alternative educational program is arranged. HAR § 8-12-16.

Re-enrollment grade placement works as follows:

Grades 1–8: Your child will be placed at the grade level appropriate for their age and birth date, regardless of where they were academically when homeschooling ended.
High school: Students will be enrolled in 9th grade. No course credits are earned during homeschooling and credits do not transfer. A student must attend a Hawaii public high school for a minimum of three full years and meet graduation credit requirements to earn a public high school diploma. HAR § 8-12-20, 8-12-21.
Students over age 20 on the first day of school are not eligible to attend public school. Students identified with a disability under IDEA may be re-evaluated upon re-enrollment and may be eligible to attend through age 21.

High school equivalency

A homeschooled student who holds a valid Form 4140 and has been homeschooling for at least one semester may pursue a High School Equivalency Credential by passing the GED or HiSET exam. The credential is awarded by the community school for adults. HAR § 8-12-21; DOE FAQ.

College entrance exams

A homeschooled student may participate in any college entrance examination made available to other students. The principal of your local public high school will, upon request, provide written acknowledgment that your child has been homeschooled in compliance with Chapter 12 — a letter that may be useful when applying to colleges and universities. HAR § 8-12-22.

Support and community

Hawaii’s homeschool community is small relative to mainland states but active across each island.

Hawaii Homeschool Association — hawaiihomeschoolassociation.org — the primary statewide advocacy and support organization. Resource library, legal information, and connections to local co-ops.
Hawaii DOE Homeschool page — hawaiipublicschools.org/enrolling-in-school/homeschool/ — official FAQs, Form 4140, and links to HAR Chapter 12.
Island co-ops and local groups — Each major island has informal homeschool networks. Searching for homeschool groups by island (Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, Kauai, Molokai) is a reliable way to find co-ops, curriculum swaps, and community events.
Public libraries — Hawaii’s public library system offers access to educational databases, digital resources, and some curriculum support materials at no cost.

The DOE’s FAQ notes that schools “may be a resource to share information about basic units of study for a particular grade level” — parents are encouraged to reach out to their school of record with questions about content standards and grade-level benchmarks.