Home Schooling Information
Home instruction must be done in accordance with regulations established by the New York State Commissioner of Education (Commissioner's Regulations 100.10). These regulations were adopted to ensure that all children in our district receive instruction that is at least equivalent to that being offered to children of the same age and achievement level enrolled in district programs. Some important points to consider before beginning a home instruction program are:
- Students instructed at home are not awarded a high school diploma. A high school diploma may only be awarded to a student enrolled in a registered secondary school who has completed all program requirements set by the Regents, the school or the district.
- Home-instructed students are not eligible to participate in interscholastic sports. Section 135.4(c)(7) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, which governs interscholastic sports, directs that a participant in interscholastic sports must be enrolled in the school.
- Districts are not required to loan textbooks to home instructed-students. A student instructed at home is not enrolled in a nonpublic school, therefore the district is not obligated to loan items that it is required by statute to provide to children attending nonpublic schools. However, a school
district may, if it wishes to, provide textbooks and other materials to
students instructed at home.
- Students instructed at home may not participate in the instructional program of the school district. The Legislature has not authorized part-time attendance.
- A district must offer a home-instructed student with disabilities the special education services recommended on the Individualized Education Program (IEP) by the Committee on Special Education.
- A district may, but is not obligated to, allow home-instructed students to participate in intramural and other school-sponsored club activities.
- State law does not require any specific credentials for the person(s) providing home instruction.
Contact information:
Jenniffer Kinney, Attendance Coordinator
Booth Educational Center
414 Davis Street
Elmira, NY 14901
(607) 735-3570
Fax: (607) 735-3573