1.    The Marlborough School Committee recognizes its statutory responsibility to ensure that all children within the city boundaries are educated in response to the compulsory attendance law, Chapter 76, Section 1 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which states in part:

• Every child between the minimum and maximum ages established for school attendance by the board of education...shall...attend a public day school...or some other day school approved by the school committee...unless the child attends school in another town...but such attendance shall not be required of a child...who is being otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the Superintendent of Schools or School Committee.

2.    The Marlborough School Committee recognizes that in considering approval of individual home education, it does so in good faith based on the information presented by the proponents of the individual home education program. At the same time, the Committee reserves the right to withdraw its approval if it discovers that the information is not accurate or true. If, for some reason, approval were to be withdrawn, the Committee acknowledges its responsibility to provide a due process hearing.

3.    The School Committee accepts MA General Law and the MIAA Handbook, and, for home education students who seek to play interscholastic sports, adapts its current policy to require quarterly reports to the principal for the purposes of eligibility certification.

4.    The School Committee encourages parents and students involved in the home education program to maintain a strong, mutual interactive relationship with the District.

5.    The Marlborough School Committee appreciates the need for periodic review of home education programs and the policies governing their approval in order to ensure that their approval process remains valid.

The following guidelines and procedures shall be in effect for approving home education programs:

1.    Parents, who are interested in establishing a home education program for their child(ren), shall request, annually, in writing, approval from the Superintendent or their designee.

2.    Documentation, as noted below, will be supplied by parents of children wishing to execute a Home Education Program, prior to September 1st of said school year that meet the State Time on Learning Requirements.

A.   A home educational plan, including the amount of time to be devoted to home instruction in every subject area on a weekly basis;

B.   A list of persons who will be conducting the home instruction program along with their academic credentials;

C.   An outline of the curriculum to be followed;

D.   A list or copies of the materials to be used in the program.

E.   A brief description of the method of assessment to be used.

F.    Progress Reports (2) through the year.

3.    If parents subscribe to a consulting home education program, its outline and materials, and assessment plan may be submitted in lieu of 3A, 3C, 3D, and 3E.

4.    The Superintendent’s Designee, after review of the material, will recommend approval or disapproval of the home education program to the Superintendent.

5.    The Superintendent or Designee will make the final decision on approvals of the home education plans and inform the School Committee of their actions.

6.    Following approval of any home education program, these additional procedures shall be in effect:

A.   The parent will submit a written report to the Superintendent of Schools or the Designee, twice a year (January and June), indicating the progress of the student in each area;

7.    The regulations from the MIAA Handbook, have been incorporated into the district procedures.

Legal Reference: Ch 76, Sec 1 of the MGL                                           

Ref: Section 50, Home Educated Students,
of the MIAA Handbook 7/1/97 thru 6/30/99, pp. 33-34                         

Approved: 1/12/99

Revised 10.5.18

Approved: 8/27/24