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If your child is 4 or 5 years old on September 1 this year

Posted on by whpa-webadmin

Kindergarten is not mandatory in Wisconsin! Compulsory attendance in Wisconsin begins the year the child turns 6 on or before September 1st. That’s right–if your child is 4 or 5 years old on September 1st this year, they are not required to attend school at all.

This also means that you should not file the PI-1206 Homeschool Report for a child who did not turn 6 on or before September 1, even if you plan to provide educational activities at home for this child.

Why not file the PI-1206 Homeschool Report before age 6? See Homeschooling at Age 6.

If you enroll your child in public school kindergarten, and then decide to withdraw them at any time of the school year, you should not file the PI-1206 Homeschool Report, even if a school employee says that you must. A simple letter may be sent to the school stating that you are withdrawing your child from kindergarten and that you will not be filing PI-1206 Homeschool Report because your child is not of compulsory attendance age (a letter is a courtesy and not required by law). You may choose to modify and use this Sample Kindergarten Withdrawal Letter.

WHPA provides information about homeschooling in Wisconsin. WHPA does not provide specific legal advice to any specific individuals in the context of any specific matters. It is the responsibility of each homeschool administrator/parent or guardian to read original source material and make decisions on compliance for themselves. When you file the PI-1206 Homeschool Report with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, you take full responsibility for understanding and complying with the laws outlined on that form. WHPA does not endorse or provide curriculum suggestions or specific materials for any particular educational approach.