Homeschool benefits: Williamsport Area School District
Homeschooled students in grades 7-12 who live in Williamsport Area School District get an equal chance to apply for available career and technical education (CTE) programs at Williamsport Area High School. Applications are due March 1 for the next school year, and the district provides no special transportation.
Who qualifies
Lives in the district
CTE placement is open to home education students who reside in Williamsport Area School District.
Has an approved affidavit
File the district affidavit (Appendix A), one per child, with Student Services at least two weeks before homeschooling begins, and a new one by August 1 each year.
Completes district registration
Home-educated students taking district classes complete the registration enrollment process and provide all required documents.
What you can get
The terms come from Williamsport Area School District's home schooling page and Board Policy 137.
- CTE programs at Williamsport Area High School
- Apply by March 1
- Academic classes
- Request by Aug. 12
- Borrowed materials
- Request by Aug. 12, return by June 30
- PIAA athletics, grades 7-12
- Request by Aug. 12
- Transportation
- Not provided
The online application linked on the district's page is still titled 2023-2024 WAHS CTE Application, so confirm with Student Services that it is the current form before March 1.
From applying to keeping it
- Two weeks before starting
File the affidavit
Submit Appendix A to Student Services at the Williamsport District Service Center and wait for the approval letter.
- By March 1
Apply for a CTE program
Use the online CTE application on the district's home schooling page to apply for an available program.
- If accepted
Register with the district
Complete the district registration enrollment process and provide all required documents before your child starts.
- By August 1
Renew the affidavit
File a new affidavit for each child every year.
- During the program
Arrange transportation
Plan your own rides, since the district provides no special transportation for home-educated students.
What it includes
Included
- District academic classes
- Borrowed district materials
- PIAA athletics for grades 7-12
Not included
- Special transportation
- A Williamsport Area High School diploma
- Students enrolled in home schooling all day or half day are not eligible for a WAHS diploma and are not considered for honor roll, awards, or GPA standings.
Who to contact
Student Services, through Kelli Neece, handles homeschool affidavits, applications, and questions about home schooling.
570-327-5500 Home schooling 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 Williamsport CTE student also take district classes or play sports?
- Yes. Request academic classes and PIAA athletics for grades 7-12 by August 12.
- Will my child earn a Williamsport Area High School diploma?
- No.
- Can we also borrow textbooks?
- Yes. Submit the Appendix B materials request, one per student, to Student Services by August 12, and return everything by June 30 when the evaluator's certification is due.
- Who do I call with questions?
- Call Kelli Neece in Student Services at 570-327-5500, extension 40000, for affidavits, applications, and home schooling questions.
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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