What is a private school affidavit (PSA)?
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A private school affidavit lets a parent legally operate their own home as a private school, exempting their child from compulsory public-school attendance. It's free, requires no credential, and gives total curriculum freedom, but the parent takes on all recordkeeping and teaching responsibility. Filed annually with the California Department of Education (CDE) between October 1 and 15.
How does filing a PSA work?
Any person offering or conducting private school instruction at the elementary or high school level must annually file an affidavit or statement, under penalty of perjury, with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (CA Education Code (EC) Section 33190). The statutory filing window is October 1–15 each year, but CDE's online PSA system stays open August 1 through June 30 to accommodate new schools and homeschools starting mid-year; schools established in July must wait until the August window opens. A parent who is instructing their own child at home effectively becomes the 'private school' for affidavit purposes, there is no separate parent-specific form. Filing is online at CDE's PSA system (cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/affidavit.asp). (source)
Does filing a PSA legally exempt my child from school?
Yes, once verified. EC Section 48222 exempts children instructed in a private full-time day school by 'persons capable of teaching' from compulsory education, but the exemption is 'valid only after verification by the attendance supervisor of the district ... that the private school has complied with' the Section 33190 affidavit-filing requirement. In practice CDE says the exemption has two parts: (1) the parent files the PSA, and (2) the local public school district (where the child would otherwise be enrolled) determines the family has met the statutory requirements. Parents are not required to proactively report to their district, but the district retains a truancy-verification role. (source)
What does it cost?
Filing the PSA itself is free, it is a state filing, not a paid enrollment. Families bear the full cost of curriculum, materials, and any optional testing/enrichment themselves, since a PSA carries no public funding (verified 2026-09-17, no fee schedule appears anywhere in CDE's PSA filing guidance). (source)
How much curriculum freedom do I get?
Full freedom, with two content constraints. EC Section 48222 requires that instruction be taught in English and 'offer instruction in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools of the state.' CDE guidance confirms parents 'must select and provide all curricular, instructional, and other necessary materials' themselves, there is no state approval or review of a home-based private school's specific curriculum choice, no state testing requirement, and no immunization requirement for a home-based private school. (source)
What records do I have to keep?
Three things, per EC Sections 33190 and 48222: (1) an attendance register recording every absence of a half-day or more for each day school is in session; (2) a record of the courses of study offered; and (3) the names, addresses, and educational qualifications of the school's 'faculty' (i.e., the teaching parent). CDE also recommends, but does not require, keeping copies of filed affidavits and individual pupil records under 5 CCR Sections 430-437. Parents are not required to report to their district after filing, though CDE notes informing the district can avoid truancy confusion. (source)
What do I give up compared to other pathways?
No public funding of any kind (unlike a charter's independent-study curriculum funds), no state-issued diploma or transcript (families create their own; CDE confirms 'there is no law or regulation that establishes graduation or diploma requirements for California private schools'), and no built-in teacher supervision or peer cohort. A child schooled under a PSA can enroll in public school at any time, but the receiving district is not obligated to recognize prior home-school credits, district enrollment/placement policy governs. (source)
How do I get started and what deadlines matter?
File the PSA online at cde.ca.gov/sp/ps/affidavit.asp. The regular annual window is October 1-15; the system otherwise stays open August 1-June 30 for new filers. A family withdrawing a child from public school mid-year can file immediately rather than waiting for October. There is no enrollment cap, lottery, or application review, filing itself is the entire 'enrollment' step. (source)
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