Burlington Public Schools

Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) requires school attendance of children between the ages of six and sixteen. However, in March 1987, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on a case entitled Care and Protection of Charles, 399 Mass. 324 (1987). This decision sets forth the legal standards for the approval of home education programs for children of compulsory school age in Massachusetts.

According to state law, the procedures for establishing home schooling are as follows:

1. Parent(s)/guardian(s) must obtain approval from the Superintendent prior to removing a child from the public schools.
2. The Superintendent will provide the parent(s)/guardian(s) with an opportunity to present and explain their home schooling proposal.
3. In order to obtain approval, parent(s)/guardian(s) must demonstrate that their home schooling proposal meets the requirements of General Laws Chapter 76, Section 1, in that the instruction will equal "in thoroughness and efficiency, and in the progress made herein, that in the public schools in the same city."
4. On an annual basis, parent(s)/guardian(s) must certify in writing, the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child in the home school program.
5. Parents/guardians must provide or make available all requested information to the Superintendent for their review within a reasonable timeframe.
6. Once a decision has been reached on an application for home schooling, the District will provide notification of the decision to the parent(s)/guardian(s). If an application for home schooling is rejected parents/guardians will be given an explanation as to the reason for the rejection and within a prescribe timeline, be allowed to revise their proposal to remedy its inadequacies.

The steps to follow to apply for home schooling within the Burlington Public Schools are as follows:

Submit a letter of application to Dr. James Picone, Superintendent of Schools indicating that you are requesting permission to educate a child at home. Please include each child's name, age, place of residence, parent(s)/guardian(s) name, place of residence and phone number.

Upon receipt of your application letter, you will be contacted by Julie Woodland, Home School Coordinator, in Burlington's Pupil Services Office to schedule a meeting to review and present the child's home school proposal. The proposal should include the proposed curriculum and the number of hours of instruction in each of the proposed subjects. The proposal should also include the textbooks, workbooks and other instructional aids to be used by the child and the lesson plans and teaching manuals to be used by the parents. At the meeting the parent/guardian will also be able to discuss what periodic standardized testing will be conducted to ensure educational progress and the attainment of minimum standards.

At the end of each school year, a progress report in a form described by the District should be submitted by parent(s)/guardians(s) to the Home School Coordinator.

CONTACT
Julie Woodland, Pupil Services Office, 123 Cambridge Street, Burlington MA 01803 or @ (781) 270-1819 regarding any questions you may have on Home Schooling.