How to withdraw a student from public school

[Anonymous]

We submitted our Notice of Intent to home school form to Arlington Public Schools last week. My daughter is a rising 2nd grader and attended K-1 in public school. Is there certain language or a form that I need to use to withdraw her from the public school she attended?

[Anonymous]

I didn’t think you needed to do anything beyond the NOI.

[Anonymous]

Contact the registrar of your elementary school to notify them and they will remove your child from the school roster.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a definite answer? Is there a form to be filled out or do we simply give our own notice. TIA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a definite answer? Is there a form to be filled out or do we simply give our own notice. TIA.

https://hslda.org/post/how-to-comply-with-virginias-homeschool-laws

Hslda is the definite source for us homeschool laws by state.

Use the notice of intent form. Indicate your choice (home instruction, religious exemption, certified tutor, private school umbrella). If option 1, indicate your credentials (hs diploma or higher, va teacher license, prepackaged curriculum or program, or other evidence that you can adequately educate the child). Provide a description of the curriculum (just a list of subjects).

By the end of the year (August 1 next summer), provide an evaluation (for a second grader: nationally-normed standardized test, evaluation letter from a licensed teacher, any other option enable to you AND the superintendent) to prove progress (note, this does not require a certain level attained, only progress over the previous year).

https://hslda.org/post/how-to-withdraw-your-child-from-school-in-virginia

Hslda recommends that you withdraw your child. But please note that it is not required.

https://www.apsva.us/attendance/virginia-state-law/

Virginia law requires schools to withdraw children absent for 15 days. Combined with your noi, that may be sufficient.

In the current situation, children are only being conditionally registered online, or the parents have to drop off their documents. Given that situation, I’d suggest emailing the teacher and principal informally, then send the noi certified mail with return receipt and send a letter withdrawing your child to the school.

[Anonymous]

I am withdrawing my child from his elementary school within the next couple of weeks. I'm aware of all the requirements--NOI, informing the registrat--but one thing I'm not sure how to do is inform my child's teacher. I like her very much, and so does my child. She is not the reason we are withdrawing--she's terrific, but DL is just not working out for him. He's done well academically this year, so she may be surprised to know how difficult it has been and how untenable this is. How much notice should we give her in advamce of his last day? Should we send her an email or speak to her over zoom? My gut tells me it would be best to talk to her over zoom and not via email--she's a lovely person, and my child will miss her. Any advice on how to handle this would be welcome. TIA.

[Anonymous]

I'm in a different county, but we emailed the principle of the school at the same time as we filed the Notice of Intent. I let him know that we were happy with the kids' teachers but that distance learning was not working for our family. I emailed the two teachers the day before their last day and thanked them for all the work and effort they put into teaching my kids.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Fairfax County and just submitted the Notice of Intent to Homeschool today. I got an immediate auto reply email with various links including a link to a form for student withdrawal.

It is marked with Fairfax County's logo. So, I assume Arlington County has a similar withdrawal form.

This is what is on the Swanson Middle School site:

https://swanson.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/08/Withdrawal-Notification-Form.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am withdrawing my child from his elementary school within the next couple of weeks. I'm aware of all the requirements--NOI, informing the registrat--but one thing I'm not sure how to do is inform my child's teacher. I like her very much, and so does my child. She is not the reason we are withdrawing--she's terrific, but DL is just not working out for him. He's done well academically this year, so she may be surprised to know how difficult it has been and how untenable this is. How much notice should we give her in advamce of his last day? Should we send her an email or speak to her over zoom? My gut tells me it would be best to talk to her over zoom and not via email--she's a lovely person, and my child will miss her. Any advice on how to handle this would be welcome. TIA.

It sounds like you already answered your question - over Zoom. I'm a teacher, these things happen all the time, even Pre-COVID. We don't take it personally. She'll undoubtedly find out when you submit your notification, but a weeks notice is more than enough. There's nothing really for her to do at that point, she doesn't have paperwork or anything like that.

[Anonymous]

Informing your teacher is entirely up to you no optional. Ours was terrible, a sub, and I did not inform her. However, when I sent my NOI to FCPS, they sent back a student withdrawal form that I then had to submit to our principal to officially unenroll my kids. The form asks you to note whether you are leaving the district, going to another public, to a private, etc. Since I indicated we were not moving and going to homeschool the school district still tracks us in SIS/ParentVUE and we show as homeschooled. When we re-enroll, the data from past years immediately shows up again, same student IDs, etc.

[Anonymous]

^^ AND optional.

[Anonymous]

Letter of intent, copy of your hs diploma, list of subjects you plan to teach. I pulled my kid out of Virginia public schools at the beginning of 3rd and homeschooled for three years. Check the Code of Virginia to see if anything has changed, but it probably hasn't.