Legal statusHomeschooling is legal in West Virginia, but families need to match the rules to the pathway they use. The main home instruction route has meaningful notice, qualification, subject, and assessment requirements, while other exemptions and school-choice pathways may work differently.Compulsory age range6-17Notification requiredYes for the home instruction pathway described in West Virginia Code 18-8-1(c)(2). The parent must present a notice of intent to the county superintendent or county board when home instruction begins. If the child is enrolled in public school, notice must be given on or before the date home instruction starts. A new notice is required when moving to a new county.Who you notifyThe county superintendent or county board in the county of residence. If the family moves, the previous county superintendent must be notified and a new notice must be filed in the new county.Notification deadlineOn or before the date home instruction is to begin if the child is leaving public school. The statute does not present one single statewide yearly filing date in the text reviewed here.Required subjectsReading, Language, Mathematics, Science, Social studiesHours or days requiredWest Virginia says home instruction under this exemption must be provided for a time equal to the instructional term set forth in state law. The accessible statute text reviewed here does not restate that term as a simple hour total.Record keepingParents should keep the notice of intent, proof of instructor qualification, attendance information, course plans, work samples, and especially copies of each student's academic assessment for at least three years because the statute expressly requires that retention period.Testing and evaluationYes. West Virginia requires an annual academic assessment for students using the home instruction pathway. Families may use a nationally normed standardized test, the state public-school testing program, a certified teacher portfolio review with written narrative, or another alternative academic assessment agreed to by the parent and county superintendent.Testing frequencyAnnual assessment is required. Results must be submitted to the county superintendent at grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 by June 30 of the year the assessment is administered.Teacher qualificationsThe person providing home instruction must submit satisfactory evidence of a high school diploma or equivalent, or a qualifying postsecondary degree or certificate from an approved institution, as described in the statute.Curriculum freedomModerate. West Virginia requires instruction in the listed core subjects and annual assessment, but families retain flexibility in how they teach and may choose among several assessment methods.Umbrella school optionWest Virginia does not appear in the available sources to use the same umbrella-school structure common in some other states. Families may instead qualify under home instruction, recognized nonpublic school options, or other state programs depending on circumstances.Virtual school optionYes, in a broad sense. West Virginia has public virtual and other school-choice options, but those are not the same as the home instruction exemption summarized here.Special educationThe statute says the county board, upon request, shall notify parents in writing of services available to assist in assessing a child's eligibility for special education services. It also states that identification of a disability does not preclude the continuation of homeschooling.High school diplomaThe available West Virginia home instruction statute text reviewed here does not spell out a separate state homeschool diploma process. Families commonly maintain their own transcripts and completion records unless the student is enrolled through another school structure.College admissionWest Virginia colleges will usually want a homeschool transcript and may also consider assessment records, outside coursework, dual-enrollment credit, or test scores when available.Sports accessThe available source bundle does not clearly show a simple statewide guarantee of public school sports participation for every homeschooler, so families should verify county and athletic rules locally.Dual enrollmentYes, potentially. The statute says a child receiving home instruction may, upon approval of the county board, attend classes offered by the county board subject to normal registration and attendance requirements.NotesFirst-pass draft. The West Virginia Department of Education URL in the raw bundle returned a 404 during capture, so this entry relies primarily on the live West Virginia Code text plus the HSLDA summary. This draft focuses on the home instruction exemption in 18-8-1(c)(2). West Virginia also has other education-at-home or school-choice structures in the statute, so families should confirm that they are using the correct pathway before filing.