In the U.S. Virgin Islands, there is currently one legal option for homeschooling. School attendance is compulsory for children ages 5 to 18, and parents must submit notification to homeschool. No teaching qualifications are required, but state-mandated subjects do need to be covered. Assessment requirements are still unclear, so you’ll want to check local guidance or refer to Series Part 1 for more details. There are no immunization requirements for homeschool students.
1. Submit a Notice of Intent
- You must file a Notice of Intent to Homeschool with the Commissioner of Education within 10 days of beginning to homeschool.
- Keep a copy for your records, along with a copy of the Commissioner’s acknowledgment of receipt.
- The form may ask for the total number of daily instructional hours you plan to provide, but you are not required to provide that information.
2. Teach the Required Core Subjects
- Homeschool instruction should cover these core areas:
- Reading
- Language arts
- Math
- Science
- Social studies
- While the law does not clearly state that these subjects are mandatory, including them is strongly recommended. Doing so can help if your program is reviewed or if its validity is ever questioned.
3. Portfolio Reviews May Be Required
- The Department of Education may request up to two portfolio reviews per year.
- Current law does not specify what a portfolio must include or what it needs to demonstrate.
Note on Regulatory Status
In 2016, the USVI Board of Education proposed new homeschool regulations. However, the necessary legal steps for those regulations to take effect do not appear to have been completed. Therefore, the requirements outlined above are the ones currently in force. Please be aware that the Board of Education has a different interpretation regarding the status of the 2016 proposals.
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