Massachusetts homeschool requirements and record-keeping, 2026-27
In Massachusetts, home schooling a child of compulsory age (6 to 16) needs advance approval from your school district, under the policy your school committee has adopted. You notify the district first, preferably in writing, but notice alone does not let you begin. The district gives you its policy, reviews your proposed plan, and approves it, asks for changes, or disapproves it. The state sets no fixed day or hour count; districts typically look at content, materials, how long and how often you teach, and how progress is evaluated.
What you file and when
- Notice to the district that you wish to home school
To: School district of residence. When: Before you begin - Proposed home schooling plan for approval
To: School district (superintendent or school committee). When: Approval is needed before home schooling begins
What you keep
- Whatever your district's approved plan specifies (often a progress report, portfolio, or test)
How long to keep it. The sources we read set no retention period. Keeping a record for at least a few years is a sensible habit.
Hours, days and subjects
- No fixed number of hours or days found in the sources we read.
- Compulsory attendance ages: 6 to 16
Set by your district's approval policy; the standard is instruction equal in thoroughness and efficiency to the local public schools.
Work out your hours for Massachusetts with the free calculator.
Things people miss
- Taking a child out of school before the plan is approved counts as truancy.
- Each district has its own policy and timeline, so ask your district for its process.
- DESE does not approve plans or review district decisions.
- Home visits cannot be required as a condition of approval without the parent's consent (Brunelle v. Lynn Public Schools, 1998).
Official sources
- M.G.L. c. 76, § 1 School attendance (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 76, § 1)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18 - DESE Home Schooling (MA DESE guidance)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18 - 603 CMR 8.02 Mandatory minimum age for school attendance (603 CMR 8.02)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18
How Schoolkeeper helps
A twenty-second daily log, and then an export in the shape Massachusetts asks for:
- An attendance record showing the days you taught.
- Minutes by subject, totalled for the year.
- A portfolio of work samples, photos and what they read, in date order.
Questions parents ask
What do I have to file to homeschool in Massachusetts?
Notice to the district that you wish to home school, to School district of residence. When: Before you begin. Proposed home schooling plan for approval, to School district (superintendent or school committee). When: Approval is needed before home schooling begins.
What records do I keep for homeschooling in Massachusetts?
Whatever your district's approved plan specifies (often a progress report, portfolio, or test).
How many hours or days does Massachusetts ask for?
Massachusetts does not set a minimum number of hours or days in what we found.
What trips people up when homeschooling in Massachusetts?
Taking a child out of school before the plan is approved counts as truancy. Each district has its own policy and timeline, so ask your district for its process.
This is a plain-English summary with its sources, not legal advice. Tell us if this is wrong.