Homeschool Requirements in Massachusetts

Massachusetts works differently from most states. Your local school district approves your home schooling plan before you begin. The state doesn't run the process, and each district has its own policy. Here's how it works, in plain English.

Natalie

Homeschool mom of two and co-founder of Packet Day

✓ Last verified October 2026 against M.G.L. c. 76, § 1 and doe.mass.edu

The short answer ⚡

Yes, you need approval first. For children ages 6 to 16, home schooling needs advance approval from the district where you live. Notify the district, ask for its policy, send a home schooling plan, and wait for a decision before you withdraw your child.

Massachusetts at a glance 📋

Approval: Yes; Advance approval from your school district
Who approves: Your district; Not the state; the Department doesn't approve plans
Your plan: Yes; A proposed home schooling plan the district reviews
Required subjects: Set locally; The state sources don't list them; your district's policy applies
Testing: Not stated; The state sources set no test; districts review how you evaluate
Ages: 6 to 16; Compulsory school age, per the Department

Pick your path 🛤️

Massachusetts law lets a child be "otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance." The state also names a few school options. This guide covers home schooling.

Most common

1. Home schooling

You teach your child at home, or direct their learning, instead of enrolling them in a public or private school. It needs advance approval from your district, under the policy your school committee has adopted. It isn't remote learning run by a school district.

School options

2. Public school

Your child attends the public day school in your town, or a day school your school committee approves.

School options

3. An approved private school

School committees must approve a private school when satisfied that its instruction in the required studies equals the public schools in thoroughness, efficiency and progress. They can't withhold approval because of religious teaching.

How to get your home schooling plan approved 📝

There's no state form and no state deadline. Your district is your contact the whole way. Don't pull your child out of school until you have an approved plan.

Have these ready

A short written notice to your district that you want to home school (the Department prefers writing)
Your district's home schooling policy, which you request from them
Your proposed plan: content, materials, how often and how long you'll teach, your methods, and how you'll evaluate

Notify the district where you live, preferably in writing. This is the first step, not the last.
The district must send you its policy and process for approval, and ask you to submit your proposed plan. If you sent a plan with your notice, you should still get the policy.
Send your proposed home schooling plan.
The district reviews it. It can approve the plan, ask for changes or more information, or turn it down.
The district must tell you its decision, preferably in writing, within a reasonable time.
Wait for approval before you withdraw your child. Notice alone doesn't give you permission.

What districts typically review

Content and instructional materials
How long and how often you teach
Your methods of instruction
How you evaluate your child
Whether the plan lets your child make adequate progress in the areas Massachusetts calls essential

Good to know

Home schooled students have a right to special education services
Whether home schooled students can join district classes, programs or sports is a local choice, and the Department doesn't review it

Source: Massachusetts DESE: Home Schooling

Want this as a printable? Get the free Massachusetts checklist.

Records to keep 🗂️

The state's guidance doesn't tell parents to keep any particular records. Your district's policy might. These copies will help either way:

Your notice and the district's reply with datesOur suggestion
The plan you submitted and the approval keep the approved versionOur suggestion
Your district's written policy so you can follow what it asksOur suggestion
Work samples and a simple log handy for whatever evaluation your plan promisesOur suggestion

One folder per school year keeps it simple.

Testing: what Massachusetts actually requires 🧪

The Department's page doesn't set a statewide test for home schooled children. Districts do review how you plan to evaluate your child, and whether your child can make adequate progress.

So what you promise in your plan matters. If your plan says you'll use a yearly test, a portfolio review or a teacher's letter, expect to follow through. Ask your district what it accepts.

What to teach 📚

Massachusetts doesn't give home schoolers a state subject list. The Department says public school rules, such as educator licensing or structured learning time, don't apply. Your district looks at:

The studies required by law: your instruction should equal public school in thoroughness, efficiency and progress
Your plan: content, materials, how long and how often, methods and evaluation
Essential areas: whether your child can make adequate progress in what Massachusetts identifies as essential

Ask your district for its policy. It tells you what your plan should cover.

5 mistakes new Massachusetts homeschoolers make ⚠️

1. Withdrawing before you're approved.
Removing a child of compulsory school age from school without an approved home schooling plan would make the child truant.
2. Thinking notice is enough.
Telling the district you plan to home school is only the first step. The district still has to approve your plan.
3. Writing to the state.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education doesn't approve plans or review district decisions. Your district does the approving.
4. Skipping your district's policy.
Every school committee has its own policy. Ask for it, then write a plan that matches what it asks.
5. Sending the plan to a charter or virtual school.
Charter schools, Commonwealth Virtual Schools, school choice districts and vocational technical programs don't approve home schooling plans. Send yours to the district where you live.

Massachusetts homeschool FAQ 💬

Do I need permission to homeschool in Massachusetts?

Yes. For children of compulsory school age, 6 to 16, home schooling needs advance approval from the district where you live, under the policy your school committee has adopted. Sending notice isn't enough. Wait for the district to approve your plan before you withdraw your child.

Who approves a homeschool plan in Massachusetts?

Your local school district reviews and approves it. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education doesn't approve home schooling plans, oversee district policies, or review district decisions. Charter schools, virtual schools, school choice districts and vocational technical programs don't approve plans either. Use the district where your family lives.

What do I send my district first?

Notify the district where you live, preferably in writing. It must then send you its home schooling policy and process and ask for your proposed plan. If you already included a plan, you should still receive the policy before the district reviews your plan.

What does the district look at in my plan?

Districts typically review content, instructional materials, how long and how often you teach, your methods, how you evaluate, and whether the plan lets your child make adequate progress in the areas Massachusetts identifies as essential. The legal question is whether your instruction equals public school in thoroughness, efficiency and progress.

What if the district says no?

The district can approve your plan, ask you to change it or add information, or disapprove it. It must tell you its decision within a reasonable time, preferably in writing. The Department doesn't review district decisions, so talk with your district first. Ask what it wants changed.

Can I pull my child out of school right away?

No. Notice alone doesn't authorize you to begin home schooling. Removing a child of compulsory school age without an approved plan would make the child truant. Send your notice, get the district's policy, submit your plan, and wait for approval before you withdraw your child.

Does my child still get special education services?

Yes. Under Massachusetts law, home schooled students have a right to special education services. Districts must also evaluate students suspected of having a disability, and evaluate eligible students again, under federal and state rules. Ask your district how it handles services for home schooled children.

Can my homeschooler join school sports or classes?

Maybe. Each district decides whether to let home schooled students join its courses, programs or extracurricular activities, including athletics. The law doesn't require it, and the Department doesn't review those local decisions. Ask your district before you count on it.

Get your free Massachusetts checklist ✅

We turned this whole page into a 1 page printable checklist: every approval step, every plan detail, every record to keep. Stick it in your homeschool binder and you're covered.

Plus, make your first learning packet free. 11 to 17 pages, generated around your kiddo in a minute or two.

Sources 📖

Massachusetts DESE: Home Schooling (checked October 2026)
M.G.L. c. 76, § 1: Requirements and exceptions (checked October 2026)

Last verified October 2026. Requirements are summarized from the sources above.

This page summarizes public information for general reference. It is not legal advice. Laws change; confirm current requirements with your school district, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or a qualified attorney before making decisions for your family.

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