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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3479 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 518 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Nicholas A. Boldyga |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act to facilitate homeschooling and encourage educational innovation. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Nicholas A. Boldyga3rd Hampden1/17/2025 1 of 3 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3479 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 518 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Boldyga of Southwick, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 518) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Nicholas A. Boldyga relative to homeschooling and alternative education models. Education. |
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| 20 | 20 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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| 22 | 22 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | An Act to facilitate homeschooling and encourage educational innovation. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 Section 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, |
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| 29 | 29 | | 2 (a) Any parent or legal guardian wishing to educate their child at home shall only be |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3required to submit a one-time letter of intent to the Department of Elementary and Secondary |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4Education (DESE) indicating their decision to homeschool. No further annual notifications are |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5required unless the family moves to a different district. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6 (b) The letter of intent shall include the name, age, and grade level of each child being |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7homeschooled, the address where the homeschooling will take place, and a statement of intent to |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8provide an education in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9 Section 2. Curriculum and Assessment |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10 (a) Homeschooling families shall have the autonomy to choose the curriculum, teaching |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11methods, and educational materials without state oversight, except where such education must |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12include basic subjects like reading, writing, history, civics, math, and science. 2 of 3 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 13 (b) No state-mandated assessments or standardized testing shall be required for |
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| 41 | 41 | | 14homeschooled students unless the parent opts into such assessments voluntarily. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 15 Section 3. Educational Innovation and Alternative Models |
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| 43 | 43 | | 16 (a) Establishment. Any individual or group may establish an alternative education model |
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| 44 | 44 | | 17by registering with the DESE as an "Educational Innovation Entity" (EIE). This registration shall |
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| 45 | 45 | | 18not require any specific credentials or state approval beyond the submission of a basic |
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| 46 | 46 | | 19educational plan. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 20 (b) Plan Contents. The educational plan shall outline the educational philosophy or |
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| 48 | 48 | | 21model, the primary subjects or skills to be taught, and methods of evaluation or demonstration of |
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| 49 | 49 | | 22student progress, which may include portfolios, exhibitions, or other non-traditional assessments. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 23 (c) Funding and Support. The state shall create an "Innovation in Education Fund" to |
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| 51 | 51 | | 24which EIEs can apply for grants to support curriculum development, facility costs, or other |
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| 52 | 52 | | 25educational expenses. This fund will be supported by reallocating a portion of the education |
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| 53 | 53 | | 26budget based on the number of students in alternative models and seeking private donations or |
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| 54 | 54 | | 27federal grants aimed at educational innovation. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 28 (d) Regulatory Relief. EIEs are exempt from traditional public school regulations |
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| 56 | 56 | | 29concerning teacher certification, curriculum standards, and mandatory standardized testing, and |
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| 57 | 57 | | 30from local zoning laws specifically related to educational use, provided safety and health codes |
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| 58 | 58 | | 31are met. 3 of 3 |
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| 59 | 59 | | 32 (e) Student Enrollment. Students enrolled in an EIE shall be considered as fulfilling |
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| 60 | 60 | | 33compulsory education requirements. They may also participate in public school extracurricular |
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| 61 | 61 | | 34activities if agreed upon by local school districts. |
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| 62 | 62 | | 35 Section 4. Oversight and Accountability |
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| 63 | 63 | | 36 (a) While specific state oversight is minimized, EIEs must maintain records of student |
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| 64 | 64 | | 37progress and be prepared to provide them if a complaint is lodged against the entity concerning |
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| 65 | 65 | | 38educational quality or child welfare. |
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| 66 | 66 | | 39 (b) The DESE shall conduct periodic, non-intrusive reviews of EIEs to ensure broad |
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| 67 | 67 | | 40compliance with the educational objectives set forth in their plans, focusing on student outcomes |
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| 68 | 68 | | 41rather than process. |
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