Homeschool benefits: South Williamsport Area School District
Homeschooled students in grades 10-12 who live in South Williamsport Area School District can apply for one of the district's 60 yearly seats in career and technical education (CTE) at the Williamsport Area School District Career and Technical Center. Send a letter of interest by February 15; the district provides no special transportation.
Who qualifies
Homeschools in the district
Your child has an approved home education affidavit on file with South Williamsport Area School District. Policy 137.3 gives these students an equal opportunity to apply for available CTE programs.
Entering grades 10-12
The February 15 letter of interest is for CTE programming in grades 10 through 12.
Tours the center
All interested students tour the facility in early spring and can request CTE enrollment after the tour.
Completes district registration
A student awarded a seat completes the full district registration packet and documentation before starting the program.
What you can get
The terms come from the district's Home Education Program Guide, dated October 2023 and still linked from its home education page.
- CTE seats each year through the district's contract
- 60
- Academic classes at the district
- Request by Aug. 15
- Borrowed school materials
- Request by Aug. 15
- PIAA interscholastic athletics
- Request by Aug. 1
- Transportation to CTE, classes, or sports
- Not provided
The guide says applicants often outnumber seats, so submit the letter on time and complete the spring tour.
From applying to keeping it
- Before you apply
Have an approved affidavit
File the home education affidavit, one per child, with the district office and wait for the superintendent's approval letter.
- By February 15
Send the letter of interest
Return the CTE Letter of Interest (Appendix B of the guide) to the Junior-Senior High School counseling office, listing the programs your child wants.
- Early spring
Tour the center
Join the district's tour of the Career and Technical Center, then request CTE enrollment.
- If awarded a seat
Register with the district
Complete the district registration process; the district office emails the registration portal link on request.
- Each year
Renew by August 1
File a new affidavit with academic goals each August 1, and the evaluator's certification by June 30.
What it includes
Included
- A chance at the district's 60 yearly CTE seats
- District academic classes
- Borrowed school materials
- PIAA interscholastic athletics
Not included
- Special transportation
- Guaranteed CTE seats
- Starting a program before registration is complete
Who to contact
The district office takes home education affidavits and registration requests, and the guide routes CTE letters to the high school counseling office.
570-327-1581 Home education guide page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Pennsylvania
You must file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with the superintendent before starting and by August 1 in subsequent years. Include educational objectives and required health and immunization documentation or exemptions. Certify that the supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody have no conviction for the listed statutory offenses in the preceding five years.
Pennsylvania sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach in English the subjects required for elementary or secondary home education, including English, math, science, geography, history/civics, health, PE, art, music, and ongoing fire-safety instruction. Provide 180 days or 900 elementary/990 secondary hours annually.
- Testing: Include reading and math test results in the portfolio in grades 3, 5, and 8. Obtain an annual evaluation and submit the evaluator’s certification to the superintendent by June 30. The supervisor, parent or guardian may not administer an alternative approved standardized test.
- Records: Keep a portfolio with a reading-materials log, work samples, required test results, and the annual evaluation. Document the required instructional days or hours.
- Teachers: The supervisor must be the parent, guardian, or legal custodian with a high-school diploma or equivalent. The supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody must meet the statutory five-year criminal-conviction condition.
Read the Pennsylvania homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Pennsylvania
Questions parents ask
- Can my South Williamsport CTE student also play sports?
- Yes. Request PIAA interscholastic athletics by August 1. The district provides no transportation to games or practices.
- What happens if I miss South Williamsport's February 15 CTE deadline?
- The guide does not say. It sets February 15 as the deadline without describing late letters, so call the counseling office to ask whether any seats remain.
- Can we borrow textbooks too?
- Yes. Submit the Academic Materials Request (Appendix D), one per student, to the superintendent's office by August 15, and return everything by June 30 when the evaluator's certification is due.
- Is this guide still current?
- Possibly not. The district's home education page still links the October 2023 guide, so confirm the deadlines and contact names with the district office before you rely on them.
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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