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Homeschool laws in Massachusetts

Checked Oct 12, 2026 against 5 sources · General information, not legal advice.

Your Massachusetts to-do

  1. Get your home schooling plan approved before you start First year
    Before home schooling begins (and before withdrawing a child of compulsory age from school): notify the district and get the plan approved; the district should answer within a reasonable period.

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What Massachusetts asks

In Massachusetts, home schooling needs advance approval from the school district where the child lives: the parent notifies the district (preferably in writing) and submits a home schooling plan, which the district approves, asks to change, or disapproves under its school committee's policy. Each district sets its own rules for what the plan covers, how progress is evaluated and how often approval is renewed, so ask your district for its policy.

School age: Ages 6–15. School attendance starts in September of the calendar year the child turns 6; DESE gives compulsory school age as 6-16. A student 16 or older is not treated as having permanently left public school until the school has invited the parent and student to a meeting about their options.

Home schooling approved in advance by the school district

Mass. Gen. Laws c. 76, § 1 (instruction "approved in advance by the superintendent or the school committee") · Level 5: Most involved

All the details, deadlines and notes
Notice
Approval needed before you start. Set by your school or school district: Before you start: notify the school district where the child lives (preferably in writing) and submit a proposed home schooling plan. The district approves it, asks for changes or more information, or disapproves it, and should answer within a reasonable period. Notification alone does not authorize home schooling, and removing a child of compulsory age from school without an approved plan makes the child truant. How often approval is renewed is set by the district's policy.
Time
Set by your school or school district
Subjects
  • all the studies required by law, with instruction equal in thoroughness and efficiency, and in progress, to the public schools in your town (the district reviews the plan's content and materials)
Assessment
Set by your school or school district
Portfolio
Set by your school or school district
Reports
Set by your school or school district
Records to keep
Set by your school or school district
Teacher
No educator license is required: public school licensing rules do not apply to home schooling.

Deadlines

  • Get your home schooling plan approved before you start: Before home schooling begins (and before withdrawing a child of compulsory age from school): notify the district and get the plan approved; the district should answer within a reasonable period.
The statute itself only says home instruction must be approved in advance by the superintendent or the school committee. The comparison standard (equal in thoroughness and efficiency to the town's public schools) is written in the statute for approving private schools; DESE applies it to the district's oversight of home schooling.
DESE does not approve home schooling plans and does not review districts' decisions; each school committee has its own approval policy.
Home-schooled students have a right to special education services, and districts may (but do not have to) let them join district courses, programs or activities.

How Homepen helps

Homepen counts your days and hours as you tick lessons, and makes: Notice-of-intent letter, filled in, Attendance & hours report, Daily log, Reading list, Portfolio and evaluator packet, Year-end summary, Report card, High-school transcript, Course descriptions.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Laws change: we check every source at least every 6 months and before each school year. If something looks wrong, tell us. The state agency for homeschooling questions is the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Keep your Massachusetts records without the paperwork

Plan the week, tick lessons, and Homepen keeps the days, hours and portfolio Massachusetts asks for.

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