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Home Education Guidelines and Procedures
School Administrative Unit No. 28
Pelham and Windham School Districts
PO Box 510
Windham, NH 03087
Ph. 603 425 1976
Contact: Tina H. McCoy - Director of Student Services or Kathleen Meadows - Administrative Assistant
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The purpose of this site is to inform the public of procedures and requirements for home education and to serve as a resource for parents who home school their children or who are considering the possibility of doing so.
Compulsory School Attendance
A parent of any child at least 6 years of age and under 18 years of age shall cause such child to attend the public school to which the child is assigned in the child's resident district. (A child who reaches the sixth birthday after September 30 shall not be required to attend school under the provisions of this section until the following school year). Such child shall attend full time when such school is in session unless the child is receiving home education pursuant to RSA 193-A and is therefore exempt from this requirement.
Home Education
Instruction shall be deemed home education if it consists of instruction in science, mathematics, language, government, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, the history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States, and an exposure to and appreciation of art and music. Home education shall be provided by a parent for his own child, unless the provider is as otherwise agreed upon by the department of education, the resident district superintendent, or a by nonpublic school who shall work with parents upon request in meeting the requirements of this section.
Click on the links below for additional information and further exemptions noted in full legal text.
 RSA 193-A file-
 Compulsory School Attendance file
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Eligibility for Home Education
- Ed 315.03
A parent shall be eligible under these rules to establish a home education program for a child at least 6 and under 18 years of age including those defined under RSA 186-C:2, I, and I-a .
A child with an educational disability who is participating in a home education program is not eligible to receive special education and related services through the public school system. However, the district in which the child resides shall conduct child find evaluations as required for home educated students.
 Child with a Disability PDF document- Educational Disabilities Administrative Rules PDF document
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Annual Notification of Home Education
- This optional form can be used to facilitate the annual notification process.
- Intent to Home School Notification Form PDF document
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Ed 315.04 Notification
A parent planning to begin a home education program shall notify the resident district superintendent, or principal of a nonpublic school within 5 business days of the start of the home education program.
A parent planning to continue a home education program shall notify the resident district superintendent (or his/her designee) by the first day of school according to the school calendar in the child’s resident school district.
The following information must be included in the written notice:
(1) The date on which the program will begin;
(2) The name and full address, including street and town, of the child;
(3) The child's date of birth.
(4) The name and address of the parent(s); and
(5) A telephone number at which the parent(s) may be reached during normal business hours.
The school district shall not require information in addition what is stated above.
A home education program established in accordance with this section shall remain in effect until August 1 of each year unless terminated in accordance with Ed 315.17. If a program is transferred because of a change in resident district for the child or by choice of the parent, the program shall continue until August 1 under the new participating agency.
When a parent supplies information to the school district, the school district shall not require:
Assignment to a grade level for a child; or
That the hours and dates of operation of a home education program coincide with the resident district calendar.
- Notification and Other Procedural Requirements file
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Evaluation of Students in Home Education Programs
- Annual Evaluation Requirements PDF document
- The parent must provide for the annual evaluation of a child enrolled in a home education program.
Any parent who intends for the homeschooled child to participate in the state or local assessments administered within the public schools must notify the District of such intent by including this information in the annual notification of a home education program.
Annual evaluation results must annually be forwarded to the District by July 1; the District must review the evaluation results to determine if the home education program is adequate to meet the educational needs of the student.
- Review of Evaluation Results PDF document
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Access to Public School Programs
- Access to Public School Programs file
- Dual Enrollment Tuition file
- Home educated students will have access to curricular courses and cocurricular programs offered by the school district in which the student resides.
Cocurricular includes those activities which are designed to supplement and enrich regular academic programs of study, provide opportunities for social development, and encourage participation in clubs, athletics, performing groups, and service to school and community.
The local school board may adopt a policy regulating participation in curricular courses and cocurricular programs, provided that such policy shall not be more restrictive for non-public or home educated pupils than for students attending the district's public school system.
For purposes of allowing access as described in this section,a home educated pupil shall not include any pupil who has graduated from a high school level program of home education, or its equivalent, or has attained the age of 21.
- Pelham Policy IHBG-R Public School Participation PDF document
- WindhamPolicy IHBG-R Public School Participation PDF document
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The parent shall keep a portfolio each year the child is being home educated. The portfolio shall contain the child's work pursuant to RSA 193-A:6,I.
The portfolio shall be the property of the parent. Access to the portfolio shall be at the parent's discretion, except as provided in RSA 193-A:6, II(a).
The school district must maintain documents concerning home education programs in a manner consistent with other educational records.
- Records Requirements PDF document
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Grievance and Due Process Hearing Procedures
- Request for Grievance Conference.
Any party to a home education program may request a grievance conference as follows:
(1) Such request shall be in writing to the NH Commissioner of Education
(2) The request shall state in detail the reasons for the request for a grievance conference and name the parties involved
 Home Education Due Process Procedures Resource- Home Education Grievance Procedures Resource
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- Any person may refer a child under the age of 21 years to the IEP team for reasons including but not limited to the following:
- Failing to pass a hearing or vision screening;
- Unsatisfactory performance on group achievement tests or accountability measures;
- Receiving multiple academic and/or behavioral warnings; and
- Repeatedly failing one or more subjects.
The Child Find requirements of the district also apply to highly mobile children with disabilities, homeless children, children who are home schooled and children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education even though they are advancing from grade to grade.
SAU #28 districts annually provide all parents of children with disabilities with information regarding the parents’ rights and responsibilities under federal and state law regarding special education.
- Special Education Procedural Safeguards PDF document
- Referral Form PDF document
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