Book Policy Manual
Section 1000 - Community Relations
Title Home-Schooled Students
Code 174
The Board of Education recognizes that parents or other persons in parental relation to a student have the right to make a determination to instruct their children at home in lieu of enrolling their children in the School District’s schools.
Parents or other persons in parental relation to a student of compulsory school attendance age shall provide written notice to the Superintendent of Schools of their intention to educate their child at home by July 1st of each school year. Parents/persons in parental relation who wish to educate their child at home must submit to the School District an Individual Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) outlining the educational goals to be met and the course materials and syllabi to be used each year for the child's education. The IHIP must include instruction which is taught by a competent instructor and results in an education which is substantially equivalent to the education provided by the School District. To adequately evaluate an IHIP and comply with law, parents/persons in parental relation are required to submit proof of residence in the School District for the School District to evaluate the IHIP.
Content of the IHIP
In accordance with New York law, each child’s IHIP shall contain:
- The child’s name, age and grade level;
- A list of syllabi, curriculum materials, textbooks or plan of instruction to be used in each of the required subjects listed in 8 NYCRR § 100.10;
- The dates for submission to the School District of the parents’ quarterly reports that are spaced in even and logical periods as required in 8 NYCRR § 100.10;
- The names of the individuals providing instruction; and
- A statement that the child will be meeting the compulsory educational requirements of the Education Law § 3205 through full-time study at a degree-granting institution, meaning enrollment for at least 12 semester hours in a semester or its equivalent, if that is the case. In this situation, the IHIP shall identify the degree-granting institution and the subjects to be covered by that study.
Procedures for Development and Review of an IHIP
Within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the notice of intention to instruct at home, the Superintendent of Schools or designee shall send to the parents/persons in parental relation to the student a copy of the relevant section of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education and a form on which to submit the IHIP.
Within four (4) weeks of the receipt of the IHIP, or by August 31st, whichever is later, the parent shall submit the completed IHIP form to the School District. The School District shall provide assistance in the preparation of the forms, upon request.
Within ten (10) business days of receipt of the IHIP, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will review the IHIP submitted by the parents/persons in parental relation, determine whether it is sufficient and notify the parent(s)/person(s) in parental relation that the IHIP complies with the requirements or the IHIP is deficient. In the event the Superintendent of Schools or designee identifies deficiencies in the IHIP, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will give the parents/persons in parental relation written notice of any deficiency. Within fifteen (15) days of a notice of a deficiency in the IHIP, or by September 15th, whichever is later, the parents/persons in parental relation shall be submit a revised IHIP which corrects any such deficiencies.
Within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the revised IHIP, or by September 30th, whichever is later, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will review and notify the parent(s)/person(s) in parental relation as to whether the revised IHIP complies with the requirements. In the event the Superintendent of Schools or designee identifies deficiencies in the IHIP, the Superintendent of Schools or designee will give the parents/persons in parental relation written notice of the reasons for such determination. Such notice shall also contain the date of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education that will be held at least ten (10) days after the date of mailing of the notice, and shall indicate that if the parents/persons in parental relation wish to contest the determination of noncompliance, the parents/persons in parental relation must so notify the Board of Education at least three (3) business days prior to such meeting. At such Board of Education meeting, the parents/persons in parental relation shall have the right to present proof of compliance, and the Board of Education shall make a final determination of compliance or noncompliance.
Parents/persons in parental relation shall have the right to appeal the final determination of noncompliance by the Board of Education to the Commissioner of Education within 30 days of receipt of such determination.
Recurring Reports to the School District
Parents/persons in parental relation must submit such reports as are required by the Commissioner’s regulations which will be provided to the School District with the necessary information to make determinations of substantial equivalency and competency of instruction on an ongoing basis.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Students instructed at home by their parents/persons in parental relation are not enrolled in the School District and, therefore will not be permitted to participate in extra-curricular activities including, but not limited to, interscholastic sports, intramural sports and other school-sponsored activities (e.g. field trips; prom, without a student from the School District who is eligible to attend the prom independently from the home-schooled student as a date; graduation).
School District Technology and Library Materials
Students being home-schooled will not be permitted to loan instructional/library materials or School District owned computer technology while being home-schooled.
Instructional Program Participation
Students who are home-schooled may not participate part-time in the instructional program of the School District. This includes any instructional program offered by the School District, including but not limited to the driver’s education course.
Regents Exams
Students who are home-schooled and reside in the School District that wish to take Regents examinations will be permitted to sit for Regents examinations administered in the School District. Any home-schooled student wishing to sit for a Regents examination administered in the School District must show proper immunization prior to sitting for such examination.
To do so, the student being home-schooled shall contact the Superintendent of Schools with plenty of time in advance of the Regents examination(s) so the School District may accommodate the student being home-schooled.
If a Regents examination has a lab requirement, the student may be admitted to the examination if there is evidence that the student has met the lab Requirement. The IHIP, quarterly reports and/or verification from the student’s teacher can provide such evidence.
If a student being home-schooled has taken Regents exams at the public school of residence, a request may be made that the School District produce, on school letterhead, a list of the exams taken, the date on which they were taken, and the score the student earned. This list of Regents exam scores can be shared with college admissions personnel.
Other Standardized Tests
Students being home-schooled that reside in the School District may make arrangements to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or achievement examinations offered by the College Board or the American College Testing Service that are administered in the School District. Additionally, students being home-schooled that reside in the School District may make arrangements to take the General Educational Development test (GED) that are administered in the School District. Any home-schooled student wishing to take any standardized test(s) administered in the School District must show proper immunization prior to sitting for such standardized test(s).
To do so, the student being home-schooled shall contact the Superintendent of Schools with plenty of time in advance of the examination(s) so the School District may accommodate the student being home-schooled.
The cost of such tests will be borne by the parent.
Ref: Education Law §§ 3204(2); 3210(2)(d)
8 NYCRR §100.10
Reviewed by Counsel: May 22, 2024
Adoption date: August 29, 2024
Last Modified by Melinda Young on September 5, 2024
