Homeschooling in West Virginia: what the state requires
The rules for homeschooling in West Virginia, in plain English, from the state’s own sources.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official West Virginia sources. State page: West Virginia Department of Education — Homeschool State Code. Compulsory school age: From the school year in which the sixth birthday is reached prior to July 1 (or on enrolling in full-time publicly funded kindergarten) to the 17th birthday.
Home instruction by notice of intent (W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(c)(2))
Parent with a high school diploma or equivalent files a one-time notice of intent with the county superintendent, teaches the five required subjects, and submits an academic assessment at grades 3, 5, 8 and 11.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Upon commencing; on or before the start date if withdrawing from public school; one-time (new notice on moving counties) — Notice of intent to the county superintendent or county board upon commencing home instruction, with the name, address and age of each child and assurance of instruction in the required subjects, plus evidence of the instructor's qualification. If the child is currently enrolled in public school, notice is due on or before the date home instruction is to begin. WVDE describes it as a one-time notice. On moving to a new county, notify the previous county superintendent and submit a new notice to the new county superintendent. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | reading, language, mathematics, science, social studies |
| Days | No days requirement for this option. |
| Hours | No hours requirement for this option. |
| Testing or evaluation | Required every year. Annual academic assessment by one of: a nationally normed standardized achievement test published or normed within 10 years (acceptable progress = mean in the required subjects within or above the fourth stanine); participation in the county's public school testing program; a portfolio reviewed by a certified teacher who writes a narrative on progress; or an alternative assessment mutually agreed by the parent and county superintendent. Results submitted to the county superintendent at grade levels 3, 5, 8 and 11, as applicable, by June 30 of the year the assessment was given. If acceptable progress is not shown, the parent must start a remedial program; after two consecutive years without acceptable progress, the parent must submit additional evidence to the county superintendent that appropriate instruction is being provided. A disability does not preclude home schooling; state board guidelines provide alternative assessment measures. |
| Records | Required. Parent maintains copies of each student's academic assessment for three years. |
| Teacher | Person providing instruction submits evidence of a high school diploma or equivalent, or a post-secondary degree or certificate from a regionally accredited institution. |
| Other | County superintendent may, on a showing of probable cause, seek a circuit court order denying home instruction. Home-schooled students may take county-offered classes (including CTE and virtual school). |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade; testing applies every year.
High school and graduation
§ 18-8-12: a person who administers a program of secondary education at a home school may issue a diploma, which is legally sufficient to show the person has a high school diploma or its equivalent. No course/credit requirements stated.
Official sources:
- W. Va. Code § 18-8-1 — Exemptions from compulsory attendance
- W. Va. Code § 18-8-12 — Diplomas
- WVDE — Homeschool State Code
- WVDE — Homeschool Notice of Intent form
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Exact verbatim wording of the § 18-8-1(c)(2) notice timing could not be fully quoted; facts above are from the official code page and WVDE summary.
County-board-approved home instruction (W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(c)(1))
Instruction in the home (or another place approved by the county board) by a person the county superintendent and county board judge qualified, for a time equal to the public school instructional term.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Request to the county board for approval; a denial must be justified in writing. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | — Instructor must be qualified to give instruction in subjects required to be taught in public elementary schools. |
| Days | For a time equal to the instructional term set in § 18-5-45 (number not verified here). |
| Hours | Not stated separately. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. None stated for this subdivision. |
| Records | None stated for this subdivision. |
| Teacher | Person(s) who, in the judgment of the county superintendent and county board, are qualified to instruct in subjects required in public elementary schools. |
By grade
Subjects by grade: Instructor must be qualified to give instruction in subjects required to be taught in public elementary schools.
High school and graduation
§ 18-8-12 allows a home school administrator to issue a diploma.
Official sources:
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Number of days in the § 18-5-45 instructional term not checked; whether any assessment applies to (c)(1) not confirmed.
High school: the public-school diploma as a guide
Optional for homeschools in most states, but the credit plan most colleges and employers recognize, and a sound default for a homeschool transcript. Shown in the subject areas this site uses.
| English | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 4.0 |
| Science | 3.0 |
| Social Studies Social Studies 4; Personal Finance 1 | 5.0 |
| Fine Arts Arts 1 | 1.0 |
| Physical Education & Health Health 1; Physical Education 1 | 2.0 |
| Career & Technical | 4.0 |
| Total | 23.0 |
|---|
Policy 2510. Base requirement is 22 credits (12 prescribed + 10 personalized: ELA 3+1, math 2+2, science 2+1, social studies 3+1, health 1, PE 1, arts 1 personalized, CTE/PEP 4 personalized). Beginning with the 2024–2025 freshman cohort, 23 credits with an added prescribed credit in Personal Finance. Beginning with the 2027–2028 freshman cohort, 1 full credit in Computer Science will be required.
Source: WVDE — High School Policy 2510 Best Practices (September 2025)
After graduation: what to plan for
Suggestions from Homeschool Corral, not state rules. Most families keep the college path open through 10th grade, then narrow.
- 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II, pre-calculus if they can), 3–4 science with 2 labs, 3–4 social studies, 2–3 years of one foreign language, 1 fine arts
- A one-paragraph description for every high-school course; the parent signs the transcript and diploma
- PSAT in 10th and 11th; SAT or ACT by spring of 11th; dual credit, AP or CLEP where it fits
- A log of activities, service and work from 9th grade; two adults who can recommend them
- A Scholarship Finder profile by 11th grade; FAFSA when it opens in the fall of 12th
- A diploma and transcript with 4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies; applied math every year
- Dual-credit career and technical courses in 11th–12th; OSHA 10 and first aid/CPR; a driver’s license
- Real projects and a part-time job logged as credits, with references; visit the union hall about pre-apprenticeships in 11th
- A parent-issued diploma and full transcript, signed and dated; recruiters ask for both
- Strong reading and arithmetic for the entrance test; a practice ASVAB in 11th
- Physical fitness as a logged course; service and leadership; for an academy or ROTC, the college list plus the SAT/ACT early
- The diploma and transcript anyway; personal finance and business basics as credits
- Work experience logged with hours and a reference from 10th grade; typing, spreadsheets, a clear email
- Keep the college path open: a foreign language and Algebra II cost little now
My Homeschool turns these into a checklist for each child, with the credits recorded in Transcripts counted against the plan.
§ 18-8-1 current through 2025 Regular Session (HB 2777). Other exemptions not recorded as home options: (b) approved private/parochial school; (k) nonpublic schools under § 18-28-1; (m) Hope Scholarship participants; (n) learning pods and microschools (notice of intent to county superintendent; same five subjects, assessment options, instructor qualification and 3-year record retention as home instruction).
This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.
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