To withdraw your child from public school in Massachusetts, submit a home education plan to your superintendent or school committee and obtain approval before you stop attendance. The plan covers subjects, materials, instructor information, instructional hours comparable to public school, and how progress will be assessed. Districts cannot require home visits, a teaching credential, or approval of specific materials. Because approval comes first, do not withdraw until your plan is approved, especially mid-year. Keep your approved plan and correspondence. Compulsory age runs from 6 to 16. Confirm with your district and doe.mass.edu.
Verified June 2026 against Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76 Section 1 and Care and Protection of Charles. Procedures vary by district; confirm with your district and doe.mass.edu before relying on this for legal decisions.
| Step | What You Do in Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| 1. Write the education plan | Subjects, materials, instructor, hours, and assessment method |
| 2. Submit for approval | To your superintendent or school committee |
| 3. Wait for approval | Do not stop attendance until the plan is approved |
| 4. Then withdraw | Notify the school once approval is in hand |
| District limits | No home visits, no credential, no approval of specific materials |
| Compulsory age | 6 to 16 |
How Withdrawal Works in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is the one state in the country where withdrawal is the last step, not the first. Most states tell you to notify the district and then start teaching. Massachusetts tells you to write an education plan, submit it to your superintendent or school committee, wait for approval, and only then notify your child's school that the child is withdrawn. Getting that order backwards is the most common compliance error Massachusetts families make.
The legal basis is Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76 Section 1 as interpreted by the 1987 decision Care and Protection of Charles. That case established that a parent must obtain advance approval of a home education plan before beginning instruction. Until the plan is approved, your child is still subject to compulsory attendance law. Withdrawing before approval means the absences can be recorded as truancy.
The sequence is: plan first, approval second, withdrawal third. We cover what goes into the plan and how to move through the district review in the Massachusetts homeschooling guide. This article walks through the withdrawal sequence specifically.
Step 1: Write Your Education Plan
Before you do anything else, write your home education plan. Massachusetts districts review your plan against the standard from Care and Protection of Charles: your child's education must be equal in thoroughness and efficiency to the instruction in the district's public schools. The plan does not need to be elaborate, but it needs to show a real, comparable education.
The plan covers five areas. You describe the subjects and curriculum you will teach. You list the instructional materials you intend to use. You describe who will teach and their qualifications. You state the number of instructional hours or days comparable to public school (Massachusetts public schools run 180 days, and your plan should reflect a comparable scope). You propose a method for assessing your child's progress.
On hours, many families state a number of days per year and hours per day and leave it at that. You do not need to log every minute in real time, but your plan should demonstrate that the scope of your program matches what the public school provides. On the assessment method, you can propose what works for you -- a standardized test, a portfolio review, or a written evaluation by a qualified third party. You and the district reach agreement on the method; the district cannot unilaterally impose a specific test.
Three things the district cannot require: a home visit, a teaching credential, and approval of your specific instructional materials. Know these limits before you submit. Some districts overstep them, and knowing your ground makes it easier to respond. Before you write the plan, run a free reading assessment so you know exactly where your child stands today. That baseline helps you set realistic learning goals for the year and write a plan that reflects where the work will actually start.
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Step 2: Submit for Approval and Wait
Submit the plan to your superintendent or school committee and wait for written approval before stopping attendance. The district reviews your plan for completeness and applies the Charles standard. It may ask questions, request additional information, or propose revisions. Respond promptly to keep the review moving, and keep copies of everything you send and receive.
How long review takes varies by district. Some districts respond within a few weeks. Others can take longer, particularly if your district has limited experience with home education plan reviews. Do not stop sending your child to school while the review is in progress. Attendance continues until you have written approval in hand.
This waiting step is what makes Massachusetts different from every other state. If you are planning for the start of a school year, submit your plan in late spring or early summer so you have time for any back-and-forth before September. If you are planning a mid-year start, submit as early as possible. The approval requirement applies regardless of when in the year you begin. Mid-year transitions follow the exact same sequence: plan submitted, approval received, then withdrawal. Do not withdraw while the plan is under review.
Step 3: Withdraw Once Approved
Once your plan is approved, notify your child's school in writing that the child is withdrawn to an approved home education program. A short, dated note to the school office is enough. The school updates its enrollment records. Keep your approval letter and your school withdrawal notice in the same folder.
With approval first and withdrawal second, your child moves directly from public school enrollment to an approved home education program. There is no gap where absences could be counted as truancy. That is what the approval-first sequence protects you from.
For a mid-year withdrawal, the same order applies: approval first, then the notice. Some families in urgent situations try to withdraw first and get the plan approved after the fact. That is the order to avoid. Without an approved plan, a child who stops attending public school is not in an approved home education program under Massachusetts law, and the absences count.
Request school records at the time you send the withdrawal notice. Immunization records, transcripts, and report cards are far easier to collect at the point of withdrawal than to track down later. Once the withdrawal is done, you begin your home education program as described in the approved plan. The Guide covers building a curriculum from scratch if you are new to home education.
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Renewals and Special Education
Most Massachusetts districts renew the home education plan each year. You submit updated information or a renewed plan, you complete the assessment method agreed on in the prior year, and the district reviews both. Annual renewal becomes routine once you have been through the initial approval and know what your district expects. Our Massachusetts homeschooling guide covers the renewal and assessment steps in full. These are not part of the first withdrawal, but knowing they are coming helps you plan the school year around them from the start.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program, the special education services provided through the public school end when you withdraw to home education. Massachusetts districts may offer limited services to home education students, but the public school IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the district's special education office before withdrawing if services are in place, so you understand what changes and what options remain.
A Note from Homeschool Teacher Guide: What This Really Means for You
Massachusetts is the one state where the order can genuinely cause trouble, so here is the rule we want you to hold onto: get your plan approved before you withdraw. Write a clear education plan, submit it to the superintendent or school committee, and wait for approval, knowing the district cannot demand home visits, a credential, or your specific materials. Only once approval is in hand do you send the school your withdrawal notice. That sequence keeps your child out of truancy limbo while the plan is under review.
Keep your approved plan and approval letter together with your school withdrawal notice. Our Massachusetts homeschooling guide covers the plan contents, the Charles standard, and the yearly renewal process in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Withdraw My Child From Public School in Massachusetts?
Submit a home education plan to your superintendent or school committee, obtain approval, and only then notify the school of the withdrawal. Approval comes before withdrawal.
Can I Withdraw First and Submit the Education Plan Later in Massachusetts?
No, that is the mistake to avoid. Without approval, your child can be marked truant. Get the plan approved before you stop attendance, especially mid-year.
What Goes Into a Massachusetts Home Education Plan?
The subjects and curriculum, instructional materials, instructor information and qualifications, instructional hours comparable to public school, and how you will assess your child's progress.
What Can a Massachusetts District Not Require for Home Education Approval?
A district cannot require home visits, a teaching credential, or approval of your specific instructional materials as conditions of approving your plan.
What Happens to My Child's IEP When I Withdraw in Massachusetts?
Public school special education services end when you withdraw to home education. Districts may offer limited services, but the IEP entitlement does not carry over. Contact the special education office before withdrawing if services are in place.
Sources
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Home Schooling
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76 Section 1
HSLDA: How to Comply with Massachusetts's Homeschool Law