Military Homeschool Deployment

Q. As a military family with a five-year-old, can we homeschool in another country? Do we have to test before deploying, and is there a process we should follow to homeschool in another country?

A. Because your child is five years old, you are not required to submit test scores or other evidence of achievement before leaving the U.S. According to §22.1-254.1 (C), a child who is not six by September 30 of the school year is exempt from testing

Military families have the right to homeschool when living in another country. If a military homeschool family resides in the United States, they must comply with the state’s compulsory attendance laws including homeschool laws. However, if a military family lives in a foreign country, they are not under the jurisdiction of the foreign country’s compulsory attendance law because of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement. Neither are they under any Department of Defense regulatory authority. Military families, therefore, are not required to seek approval from the Department of Defense to homeschool. A family simply needs to obtain a curriculum and begin homeschooling.

Thank you for serving our country!

Yvonne