Rhode Island homeschool requirements and record-keeping, 2026-27
In Rhode Island, at-home instruction needs approval from the school committee of your town. The law says approval follows when the period of attendance is substantially equal to the public schools, and attendance registers are kept and returned like public school registers. The required subjects must also be taught in English to the same extent as in the public schools. Each school committee sets its own application process, and you can appeal a decision to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
What you file and when
- Request for approval of at-home instruction
To: School committee of the town where the child lives. When: Before beginning; the timeline is set locally - Attendance registers
To: School committee / superintendent / truant officers / RIDE, as requested. When: As the local school committee requires
What you keep
- Attendance registers kept the same way as public school registers
How long to keep it. The sources we read set no retention period. Keeping a record for at least a few years is a sensible habit.
Hours, days and subjects
- 180 days a year
- Compulsory attendance ages: 6 to 18
Attendance must be substantially equal to the public schools, which run at least 180 days or the equivalent (§ 16-2-2).
Children who are 6 on or before September 1 (or enrolled in kindergarten) until 18.
Subjects. Reading; Writing; Geography; Arithmetic; History of the United States; History of Rhode Island; Principles of American government; English language.
Work out your hours for Rhode Island with the free calculator.
Things people miss
- What the school committee asks for (and when) varies by town, so ask your district for its policy.
- Registers are 'returned' to school officials, so a clean daily attendance record matters here.
- Anyone in the town aggrieved by an approval decision can appeal to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Official sources
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-1 Attendance required (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-1)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18 - R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-2 Approval of private schools and at-home instruction (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-2)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18 - R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-2-2 School year (180 days) (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-2-2)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18
How Schoolkeeper helps
A twenty-second daily log, and then an export in the shape Rhode Island asks for:
- An attendance record showing the days you taught, counted against 180.
- Minutes by subject, totalled for the year.
- A portfolio of work samples, photos and what they read, in date order.
Questions parents ask
What do I have to file to homeschool in Rhode Island?
Request for approval of at-home instruction, to School committee of the town where the child lives. When: Before beginning; the timeline is set locally. Attendance registers, to School committee / superintendent / truant officers / RIDE, as requested. When: As the local school committee requires.
What records do I keep for homeschooling in Rhode Island?
Attendance registers kept the same way as public school registers.
How many hours or days does Rhode Island ask for?
Rhode Island asks for 180 days a year.
What trips people up when homeschooling in Rhode Island?
What the school committee asks for (and when) varies by town, so ask your district for its policy. Registers are 'returned' to school officials, so a clean daily attendance record matters here.
This is a plain-English summary with its sources, not legal advice. Tell us if this is wrong.