Bill

Bill > H518


MA H518

MA H518
To facilitate homeschooling and encourage educational innovation


summary

Introduced
02/27/2025
In Committee
02/27/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

194th General Court

Bill Summary

Relative to homeschooling and alternative education models. Education.

AI Summary

This bill aims to facilitate homeschooling and promote educational innovation by significantly reducing state oversight of alternative education models. It allows parents to homeschool with minimal bureaucratic requirements, requiring only a one-time letter of intent to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that includes basic information about the child and homeschooling location. The bill grants homeschooling families complete autonomy in choosing curriculum and teaching methods, mandating only basic subject coverage and eliminating mandatory standardized testing. Additionally, the legislation introduces a new "Educational Innovation Entity" (EIE) framework, enabling individuals or groups to establish alternative education models by simply registering with DESE and submitting a basic educational plan. These entities would be eligible for state grants from a newly created "Innovation in Education Fund" and would be exempt from traditional public school regulations like teacher certification and curriculum standards. EIEs would maintain some accountability by keeping student progress records and being subject to periodic, non-intrusive reviews by DESE. The bill also ensures that students in these alternative models can fulfill compulsory education requirements and potentially participate in public school extracurricular activities, thereby providing flexible educational opportunities while maintaining a minimal level of oversight to protect educational quality and student welfare.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Joint Committee on Education Hearing (11:00:00 9/16/2025 Gardner Auditorium) (on 09/16/2025)

bill text


bill summary

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bill summary

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bill summary

Document Type Source Location
State Bill Page https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H518
BillText https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H518.pdf
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