Sometimes school administrators will ask for more information than is required by law. It is important for home educating families to be familiar with the statutes and rules so they are not misled.
For information on starting a home ed program, read Where to Begin on our website. We also have a sample Letter of Intent and a list of private schools that offer Participating Agency services.
Nashua Wants More From Homeschoolers
With the next school year right around the corner, some families are filing a Letter of Intent to begin home educating their children. They have a choice to file with their local school district (SAU) office, a private school that offers these services, or with the state Department of Education. This role is called a Participating Agency.
Per the state home education law, RSA 193-A, parents are required to notify their choice of Participating Agency of their intent to homeschool one time per child, not annually. Some school districts encourage parents to complete a particular form. However parents only need to provide a simple document called the Letter of Intent, which must include the child’s name, address, date of birth; parents’ names and addresses as well as daytime phone numbers; and the date the home education program will begin. It is due within five days of starting a homeschool program. The Participating Agency must send an acknowledgement letter — not an approval — within 14 days.
Unfortunately the Nashua School District wants more information from homeschoolers than required in statute. Their website requests parents complete a form that asks for the child’s place of birth, grade level, neighborhood school, race, and home language as well as the parents’ email address. None of this is demanded in the home education law. Also, the webpage indicates that the form is required each year although their form correctly states that parents only need to notify once per child as of 2012.
Read more at Nashua Wants More From Homeschoolers.
