How to start homeschooling in Massachusetts
Everything Massachusetts asks of a homeschool family, in order, from the state’s own sources, checked October 1, 2026. Each step links to a free tool that does it, and there’s a checklist to print at the end.
Step by step
Know what Massachusetts requires
A child is excused from school if being otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee of the district where the child lives. Parents submit a home schooling plan for local approval.
Required school ages in Massachusetts: 6 to 16 (attendance begins in September of the calendar year the child turns 6). Teacher qualification for this option: No statewide credential requirement; parental competency may be considered by the district under Care and Protection of Charles.
File your notice
Required.
When: Approval must be obtained in advance of home schooling. No statewide calendar deadline or renewal frequency is set in statute.
What it includes: Parent notifies the residential school district in writing and submits a proposed home schooling plan; the plan must be approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee. Notification alone does not authorize home schooling; removing a child without an approved plan makes the child truant. Charter schools, Commonwealth Virtual Schools, school choice districts and vocational programs do not approve plans.
If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing
Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Wait until the district has approved your home education plan (the step above). Taking a child out of school without an approved plan makes the child truant.
Plan your school year: days and hours
Massachusetts doesn’t set a number of days or hours for this option.
No statewide day count for home schooling; the district may review the duration and frequency of instruction. No statewide hour requirement for home schooling found.
Planning about 180 days, as schools do, gives the year a shape and makes a move to another state easier.
Cover the required subjects
Orthography, reading, writing, the English language and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, music, the history and Constitution of the United States, the duties of citizenship, health education, physical education, good behavior.
Subjects listed in M.G.L. c. 71, §1 for public schools; the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries note that c. 71 §§1-3 subjects apply to home schooling under Care and Protection of Charles, 399 Mass. 324 (1987). Instruction must equal in thoroughness and efficiency, and in progress made, that in the local public schools.
Testing or evaluation
Not required under this option.
No statewide test requirement. Districts may consider the plan's method of evaluation and whether the child makes adequate progress (Charles factors). Under Brunelle v. Lynn Public Schools, 428 Mass. 512 (1998), home visits cannot be required as a condition of approval.
Keep records anyway
Massachusetts doesn’t require records under this option.
Our suggestion: keep attendance, a reading log and a few work samples each year. A move to another state, a college, or a question from the district is much easier with them.
Start teaching
Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.
High school and graduation
No state law sets graduation requirements for home-schooled students; the parent sets them and issues any diploma.
Official sources for this option
Not confirmed on an official page: Care and Protection of Charles and Brunelle v. Lynn were not read on an official court site; summarized from the Mass.gov law library page. Who issues the diploma is not stated on an official source (no state provision found). Upper compulsory age of 16 is from the DESE page; the regulation text did not state it. Check these points with the state or your local school district before you rely on them; everything else above comes from the official sources listed.
Your Massachusetts checklist
Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in Massachusetts · homeschoolcorral.com
- Read Massachusetts’s rules for “Home schooling approved in advance by the school committee/superintendent”
- File the notice (Approval must be obtained in advance of home schooling. No statewide calendar deadline or renewal frequency is set in statute)
- Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
- Set the first and last day, school days and breaks
- Choose curriculum for each required subject
- Start a simple attendance log and reading log
- Make a first-week plan and start
Questions Massachusetts parents ask
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Massachusetts?
Yes. When: Approval must be obtained in advance of home schooling. No statewide calendar deadline or renewal frequency is set in statute. What to file: Parent notifies the residential school district in writing and submits a proposed home schooling plan; the plan must be approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee. Notification alone does not authorize home schooling; removing a child without an approved plan makes the child truant. Charter schools, Commonwealth Virtual Schools, school choice districts and vocational programs do not approve plans.
How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in Massachusetts?
No statewide day count for home schooling; the district may review the duration and frequency of instruction. No statewide hour requirement for home schooling found.
Do homeschoolers have to take tests in Massachusetts?
No statewide test requirement. Districts may consider the plan's method of evaluation and whether the child makes adequate progress (Charles factors). Under Brunelle v. Lynn Public Schools, 428 Mass. 512 (1998), home visits cannot be required as a condition of approval.
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Massachusetts?
No statewide credential requirement; parental competency may be considered by the district under Care and Protection of Charles.
What subjects are required in Massachusetts?
Orthography, reading, writing, the English language and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, music, the history and Constitution of the United States, the duties of citizenship, health education, physical education, good behavior.
What records do I need to keep in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts doesn’t require records. Keeping attendance, a reading log and work samples is still wise.
Keep going
This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.
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