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New to Home Schooling


Texas Law


What must be taught in Texas Home Schools?

On April 13, 1987, presiding Judge Charles J. Murray issued a decision (binding on all 1,100 school districts) which was a complete vindication of the rights of parents to educate their children at home in the state of Texas.  The judge concluded that, "A school-aged child residing in the State of Texas who is being educated in a bona fide manner by the parents, or those standing in parental authority, in or through the child's home using a curriculum, consisting of books, workbooks, other written materials, including that which appears on an electronic screen or either a computer or video tape monitor, or any combination of the preceding from either:

  1. a private or parochial school which exists apart from the child's home or
  2. which has been developed or obtained from any source, said curriculum designed to meet basic education goals of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and a study of good citizenship, is in attendance upon a private or parochial school within the meaning of Section 25.086(a)(1) of the Texas Education Code and exempt from the requirements of compulsory attendance at a public school.

The only requirements for home schooling to be legal in Texas are

  1. the instruction be bona fide (i.e. not a sham);
  2. the curriculum be in visual form (e.g. books, workbooks, video monitor); and
  3. the curriculum include the basic subjects of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and a study in good citizenship.

Parents may obtain curriculum materials from outside sources or develop their own.  They may also send their children into the home of another parent for instruction or have a tutor come into their home for all or part of the instruction.

(quoted from "Home Schooling in Texas: A History Lesson" by
Tim Lambert in the "THSC Handbook for Texas Home Schoolers")