Any New Hampshire nonpublic school may offer Participating Agency services to the homeschool community. Below is information about the responsibilities involved with offering this service.
School officials may contact GSHE at info@GraniteStateHomeEducators.org with any questions.
Home education is governed by RSA 193-A and rule Ed 315 in New Hampshire, and the requirements for non-public schools serving as Participating Agencies is limited in scope:
- receive and acknowledge notifications that establish the home education program
- maintaining a list of these students, and
- reporting the count of new notifications to the Department of Education each October.
The home-education law limits liability of school officials to reflect that they are record keepers per RSA 193-A:11. Participating Agencies are not responsible for verifying the child’s academic progress, reviewing the curriculum or programs in use by families, or providing assessments of the child’s work.
In Fall 2018, the state Department of Education issued a technical advisory clarifying the Participating Agency role and reporting requirement for home education programs.
Initial Notification to Participating Agencies
In order to establish a home education program, families must inform a Participating Agency — their local SAU district superintendent, a private school principal, or the NH Department of Education — within five days of beginning the program. Families may initiate a home-education program at any time, not only at the beginning of the traditional school year.
Participating Agencies must send an acknowledgement within 14 days. It is one-time only, not an annual requirement. Note it is not approval or permission of the family’s choice to home educate. Notification requirements are specified in state law RSA 193-A:5.
Once established, the home-education program remains in effect until terminated by the families. More information about the families’ responsibilities are on our Where to Begin page.
Nonpublic schools may charge a fee for this service.
Families’ Responsibilities
Families have additional responsibilities to document the the child’s progress and maintain these records; however, it is outside the scope of the Participating Agency’s responsibilities and authority to monitor, review, approve/deny, or otherwise track the home-education program. This is covered in state law, RSA 193-A:4 and 6.
Optional Services
Some nonpublic schools offer additional services to homeschooling families, such as part-time enrollment in classes, participation in extra-curriculars, opportunities to join field trips, support with transcripts and records, and other “extras.” Additional fees for these services may apply.
Nonpublic schools are not obligated to provide these opportunities; however, they help foster a stronger relationship between the school and homeschooling families. Smaller schools may also benefit from having a larger pool of musicians, artists, athletes, or drama students, for example.
Termination of Home Education Program
A home education program remains in effect unless terminated. Per RSA 193-A:5, III the family must notify their Participating Agency within 15 days if
- they move out of state or out of the district in the case of using their local SAU as a Participating Agency
- the child is under age 18 and enrolls in a different educational pathway authorized by the state
The Participating Agency is required to confirm receipt of the notification within 14 days.
Families may also transfer from one Participating Agency to another by notifying both entities at any point in the year.
More information is available on the GSHE page, Ending Your Home Ed Program.