Massachusetts homeschool checklist for this year
Answer two questions and get the year's deadlines with their dates, the notice, testing and records, each linked to the law. Print it or tick it off here.
- Massachusetts law
- This year's checklist
- Withdrawing from school
This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and Massachusetts's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.
Deadlines, forms and amounts checked on against the sources linked on this page.
Massachusetts homeschool checklist, school year
Things to do, with their deadlines
Notify the school district where you live, preferably in writing, then wait for the district to approve your plan. Notifying alone does not let you start.
Source: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home Schooling; M.G.L. c.76, section 1, school attendance (Massachusetts Legislature)
All year
Teach the subjects Massachusetts names: orthography (spelling), reading, writing, English language and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, music, history and constitution of the United States, duties of citizenship, health education, physical education, good behavior.
Source: M.G.L. c.71, section 1, subjects of instruction (Massachusetts Legislature); Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home SchoolingState law sets no test for home schooling. Evaluation is one of the things a district looks at when it reviews your plan, so what you must show depends on the district's policy and the plan it approves.
Source: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home SchoolingWe found no state rule on records for home schooling. The Department says each school committee has its own policy on approval of home schooling plans, available from the district, so ask the district what it expects.
Source: Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home Schooling
Good habits (not in the law)
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Keep a copy of everything you send, and of any acknowledgement you get back, with the date.
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Start simple records on day one: the days you teach, the books you read and a few samples of work in each subject. They help if you move, return to school or apply to college.
Where this comes from
- M.G.L. c.76, section 1, school attendance (Massachusetts Legislature) (the law)
- M.G.L. c.71, section 1, subjects of instruction (Massachusetts Legislature) (the law)
- Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home Schooling (state agency)
Checked on October 29, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and forms change; confirm a date with your school district or the state agency before you rely on it. For legal advice, ask a lawyer licensed in Massachusetts; homeschool legal-help organizations and your state's homeschool groups can also point you to help. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.