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Home Schooling

Information

The Sudbury Public Schools recognizes and respects the right of parents or guardians to educate their child(ren) at home, in accordance with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76, Section 1 and the Charles Decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

The School Committee appreciates the personal and cultural uniqueness of each family and desires to ensure that the process by which school officials approve and review home school programs is both lawful and equitable. Therefore, the Sudbury Public Schools has established these procedures for the home school program.

The Massachusetts General Law requires the School Committee to determine that a Home School program meets the minimum standards established for public schools in the Commonwealth prior to approving such a program.

When a parent or guardian of a student between ages 6-16 wants to establish a home-based educational program for his/her child, the following procedures shall be followed in accordance with the law:

Prior to removing the child from public school:

The parent/guardian must submit written notification of establishment of the home-based program to the appropriate administrator 14 days before the program is established, and resubmit notification on an annual basis as long as the child or children are being educated in a home-based environment. Upon approval of the home school program, the parent/guardian must notify in writing, their student’s school office with the intent to unenroll their student from said school.

The parent/guardian must certify in writing, on a 2024-2025 application form provided by the District, the name, age, place of residence, and a number of hours of attendance of each child in the program.

The Superintendent or designee shall give the notice to produce records required by law if there is probable cause to believe the program is not in compliance with the law. Factors to be considered by the Superintendent or designee deciding whether or not to approve a home school proposal may be:

  1.  The number of hours of instruction in the proposed curriculum;
  2.  The competency of the parents to teach the children;
  3.  The textbooks, workbooks and other instructional aids to be used by the children and teaching manuals to be used by the parents;
  4.  Periodic assessment of the children to ensure educational progress and the attainment of minimum standards.

A student being educated in a home-based program within the District may have access to public school activities of either a curricular or extracurricular nature upon availability and approval of the Superintendent.

Additional Information:

  • Home-educated students do not participate in state testing programs such as MCAS or PARCC.
  • Sudbury Public Schools is not responsible to supply textbooks or instructional materials to homeschooling students.
  • Families must re-apply for each academic year.
  • Under Massachusetts law, home-schooled students have a right to special education services. In addition, school districts are required to evaluate students suspected of having a disability and re-evaluate students eligible for special education services consistent with federal and state requirements. 

Contact Information

Annette Doyle
Assistant Superintendent for
Teaching & Learning
annette_doyle@sudbury.k12.ma.us

Julie Williams
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent & Assistant Superintendent
julie_williams@sudbury.k12.ma.us

Department Telephone
(978) 639-3211

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