Homeschool benefits and savings in Mason
Mason City Schools lets home-educated children who live in the district enroll part time in up to two courses and join school clubs and after-school enrichment programs. Request a seat by July 30, and the district tells you by August 15 whether your child can enroll.
Who qualifies
Lives in the district
You must be a legal resident of the district and live in the attendance zone of the school you ask for, or complete the steps for an alternate school of choice. Part-time enrollment ends if you move out.
Is educated at home
The policy defines home education as instruction directed and delivered by the parent or guardian of a compulsory-age child who is not enrolled in a public or nonpublic school. Part-time enrollment is open whether your child is home educated or in a nonpublic school.
Fits in the class
Seats depend on building capacity and class or program size. The superintendent or a designee makes the final decision on admission and on which building your child attends.
Meets high school prerequisites
For a course with a prerequisite, such as Anatomy and Physiology or Calculus, bring your child's most recent assessment report in that subject. You are responsible for the prerequisite study.
What your child can take
The limits come from Mason City Schools board policy JECBC, last revised January 28, 2025, and the part-time students section of the district's Welcome Center page.
- Special subjects, grades K-8
- 2
- Courses, grades 9-12
- 2 per trimester
- After-school enrichment, grades K-6
- Any program with space
- Clubs, grades 7-12
- Certain clubs with space
- Part-time enrollments per school year
- 1
- Transportation
- Parent provides
The board policy lists three courses per semester for grades 9-12, while the Welcome Center page lists two per trimester, so confirm the current high school limit with the registrar before you plan a schedule.
From requesting a seat to enrolling
- By July 30
Request part-time enrollment
Complete the district's enrollment process and forms for the school in your attendance zone. New residents may get an exception to the deadline.
- By August 15
Hear back from the district
The district tells you whether your child can enroll part time and at which building.
- Before each club starts
Sign up for clubs
Each club and after-school enrichment program sets its own sign-up deadline, separate from the July 30 course deadline.
- During the year
Follow school rules
Your child receives the building student handbook and follows district and school rules, and you pay any fees tied to the enrolled courses.
- Each year
Tell the school your plans
Part-time status expires at the end of every school year. Notify the building whether your child will stay part time or move to full time.
What it includes
Included
- Up to two courses at a time
- K-8 art, music, physical education, health, technology, science lab, and foreign language
- Clubs with no tryouts or academic eligibility
- After-school enrichment programs
Not included
- Transportation
- Course fees
- Activities that require tryouts or academic eligibility
The district takes responsibility only for the courses your child is enrolled in; you remain responsible for the rest of your child's education.
Good to know
Part-time students pay only course fees
Part-time students pay any school fees tied to the courses they take. The policy lists no amounts, so ask the building for the fee list.
New residents may get a deadline exception
It may not be too late. The policy allows an exception to the July 30 deadline for new residents, so contact the registrar as soon as you move in.
Who to contact about part-time enrollment
The Central Registrar handles district enrollment forms, and the Welcome Center page lists the club contacts for each grade band.
registration@masonohioschools.com 513-229-4040 Welcome Center
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Ohio
You must notify the resident district superintendent within five calendar days after beginning home education, moving into a district, or withdrawing from school, and notify annually by August 30.
Ohio sets these rules:
- Subjects: Provide instruction in English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government, and social studies.
- Testing: Ohio's current home-education law does not require an annual standardized test or academic assessment filing.
- Records: Keep copies of each notice and the superintendent's acknowledgment; the state does not require a routine portfolio submission.
- Teachers: Ohio's current home-education statute does not impose the former diploma-or-supervision requirement.
Read the Ohio homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Ohio
Questions parents ask
- Can my child join a club without taking a class?
- Yes. The board allows children educated at home to take part in school clubs and after-school enrichment programs. A club under this policy is one with no tryouts and no academic eligibility rule.
- Will the district bus my child to class?
- No. For both K-8 special subjects and high school courses, the policy says parents must provide transportation.
- Can my child switch to full-time enrollment later?
- Yes. Part-time status ends each school year, and you tell the building whether your child will continue part time or transition to full-time student status.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Local classes cover the subjects they offer. We teach the remaining subjects, so a local class can stay part of the year without becoming the whole curriculum.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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