Homeschooling in Hawaii: official source
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education says a family submits Form 4140 or a letter of intent to the local school before homeschooling, keeps a record of the planned program, and submits an annual progress report. Test scores from a nationally normed assessment are required in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10.
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Official source checked 2026-10-17: Hawaiʻi State Department of Education.
What Hawaii requires
| Requirement | What the source says | Citation | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice / registration | Submit the Exceptions to Compulsory Education Form (Form 4140) or a letter of intent to the school the child would have attended. A letter must include the child's name, address, telephone number, and birth date, among the items the page lists. The page says a new notice is not required every year, except when the family moves to another school's area or the child changes school level. | Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Homeschool | 2026-10-17 |
| Required subjects | The planned-curriculum record the page describes includes the subject areas covered. A fixed statewide subject list was not stated on the portion of the page we captured. | Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Homeschool | 2026-10-17 |
| Instruction days / hours | The planned-curriculum record includes a record of the number of hours per week spent on instruction, plus beginning and ending dates. A minimum number of hours was not stated on the portion we captured. | Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Homeschool | 2026-10-17 |
| Assessment / testing | The department reviews the annual progress report and required tests in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. The page says you must provide scores from a nationally normed standardized assessment in those grades. It also says Chapter 12 still names grade 10 while public schools now test grade 11, and that families may use the state assessment at the school at no cost or arrange private testing. | Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Homeschool | 2026-10-17 |
| Teacher qualifications | Not stated on official source | Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Homeschool | 2026-10-17 |
| Record keeping | The page describes a record of the planned curriculum: dates, hours per week, subject areas, the method used to determine mastery, and a list of textbooks or other materials. The school may ask to review it. An annual progress report is also required. | Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Homeschool | 2026-10-17 |
Choosing a curriculum that fits Hawaii's rules
If the table names records, an assessment, or subjects, ask which provider keeps grades and which leaves that to you. Online schools usually keep the file. Print curricula usually leave it to the parent. That is a description of the program type, not a ranking. Tuition-free online public schools, such as those powered by K12 Online School or Connections Academy, are available only in some states. Check each provider's site for Hawaii. Where a row says the requirement is unknown, do not guess from another state.
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