FAQs

Questions about Homeschooling

Q:	How do I find out the education requirement for Texas?
A:	The Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) website has extensive information regarding legal requirements for home education.

How do I begin to homeschool in Texas?

First of all, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Texas is very fortunate in that homeschools are considered private schools, and thus have no governmental oversight.

If you have a child in public school and wish to withdraw your child from public school, you must either go withdraw your child in person or send a letter of withdrawal by certified mail to the principal of the school. Your child will be considered truant until officially withdrawn from the school system!

Texas Homeschool Coalition has a section entitled “Getting Started” that may answer many questions you might have. Texas Home School Coalition has a sample letter of withdrawal on its website.

Whether you mail a letter or withdraw in person, you DO NOT have to bring samples of your curriculum for the school to examine or approve. Any such request is not legal. If you find you are being harassed by mail or telephone by public school officials, you should send in a letter of assurance, and any further harassment is not legal.

This is the official Supreme Court of TX ruling on homeschooling:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS NO. D-2022 TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY ET AL., PETITIONERS
V. GARY W. LEEPER ET UX. ET AL., RESPONDENTS
ON APPLICATIONS FOR WRIT OF ERROR TO THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS JUSTICE HECHT DELIVERED THE OPINION OF THE COURT, IN WHICH CHIEF JUSTICE PHILLIPS, JUSTICE HIGHTOWER, JUSTICE DOGGET, JUSTICE CORNYN, JUSTICE GAMMAGE, JUSTICE ENOCH, AND JUSTICE SPECTOR JOIN, AND IN PARTS I, II AND III OF WHICH JUSTICE GONZALEZ JOINS,

All school-age children in Texas are required to attend public schools a minimum number of days each year unless exempted by law.

TEX. EDUC. Code § 21.032. Among those exempt from this requirement is “any child in attendance upon a private or parochial school which shall include in its course a study of good citizenship”. Id. § 21.033(a)(l).

The dispute in this class action centers on whether the private school exemption includes children who are taught at home, in a bona fide manner, a curriculum designed to meet certain basic education goals, including a study of good citizenship.

The district court construed the exemption to include such children and permanently enjoined all school districts and their attendance officers from enforcing the compulsory attendance law based upon any other reading of § 21.033(a)(l).

Questions about CHA

Q:	How do I become a member?
A:	Click "Join" at the top of our homepage. We will review your application and be in touch shortly!

Q:	Do you require a statement of faith?
A:	No. CHA is made up of many different people with a variety of faiths, affiliations, philosophies, and education styles.

Q:	What are the eligibility requirements for joining CHA?
A:	CHA is open to homeschooling families with children K-12. While we are open to homeschoolers anywhere in the Houston area, our events are held primarily in Cypress.

What are the benefits of joining CHA?

There are many benefits of joining CHA. You get the support and camaraderie of fellow homeschoolers who you can socialize with and get valuable advice from. Your children have ample opportunities to socialize with other children and to attend many fun and educational field trips. We also have several themed parties throughout the year and festivals to showcase your children’s work. Click here for more information on what CHA offers.

Q:	Are there minimum attendance requirements?
A:	No. Once you are a member you are free to participate in as many or as few events as you choose. We often get feedback that there is so much to do that it is virtually impossible to attend everything.

Q:	How long is membership good for?
A:	Memberships are annual and are renewed on June 1st of each year.

Q:	Do I get a membership card?
A:	CHA offers membership cards which are accepted at many places for educator discounts.

Q:	How much does it cost to join CHA?
A:	Dues are $30 per year.

Q:	Are there any other fees required to be a member of CHA?
A:	Once you pay dues for the year, you are a member of CHA and eligible for all the benefits of membership. However, some field trips and activities require additional fees or deposits to attend. Most of our paid field trips are significantly discounted.

Q:	Will you homeschool my kids for me or suggest someone willing to?
A:	No. CHA is made up of individual families who concentrate on homeschooling their own children. While we cannot homeschool someone else’s child nor recommend someone who will, we do offer support and activities to assist you in your homeschooling journey. Get involved with the monthly field trips and check out our coop.

Q:	Can I join if I have a pre-schooler only, to make friends and meet people before starting to officially HS?
A:	We do not allow families without a K-12 student to join. CHA is focused on activities for school-aged children, and while there are events in which younger siblings may be welcome, it is not a preschool group.

Q:	As a non-homeschooler, veteran homeschooler, or business owner, may I join CHA?
A:	CHA is a group for homeschooling families. Our membership is open only to families who are current or soon-to-be homeschoolers for the upcoming school year.

Q:	May I come to a park day or meeting before joining?
A:	YES! Please email our current president at [email protected] for more information. We do not publicly post event dates or times for the safety of our children.

Q:	If am not a member of your group can I post events or classes they may be interested in?
A:	If you want to share info with our group (classes offered, field trip opportunities, etc.), please email the president for approval. She will then post your info to members via this website.

Q:	How does my child graduate? Is there a ceremony, or how do I get them a diploma?
A:	Your child graduates by completing the recommended high school program. Diplomas and transcripts can be put together by the parents. There are services, book, software programs, and websites to help with transcripts. CHA offers a graduation ceremony each May.

What classes do I need for my child to be accepted into a college?

This will vary somewhat by the college. Most universities will have admission requirements on their website and your best bet is to look at the websites for any colleges your child is interested in and make sure to meet their requirements.

For public universities in Texas, it is recommended that private school students (which includes homeschoolers) complete the state’s Recommended High School program. The requirements are updated by the legislature or TEA periodically, but can currently be found here: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074f.html

Q:	How often do you meet?
A:	We have monthly member meetings from September through May. In addition, we have regular field trips. We have field trips geared toward the entire group and others targeted to specific age groups.

What kind of field trips do you do?

Our field trip coordinator works very hard to come up with exciting and educational field trips for the entire family. We have a minimum of one field trip opportunity per month. Additionally, we have field trip coordinators for preschool, elementary and teens who schedule monthly trips geared specifically to those age groups.

We always try to come up with new ideas and attend old favorites. We typically try for a good mix of free and inexpensive trips to make it affordable for families to go to as many activities as possible.

Some of our past field trips include museums, performance arts, exploring nature and outdoors, factory tours, and tours of government facilities or historic sites. Our party coordinator works hard to come up with amazingly fun themed parties for our members.