Homeschool benefits: Burlington School District
Burlington School District Policy C6 lets home study students take part in district courses, programs, activities, and services and use school materials and equipment. Under Vermont's rules, your child can enroll in up to 2 of the 5 core courses plus electives, athletics, and extracurricular activities at the local school, as space permits.
Who qualifies
Enrolled in Vermont home study
Your child must be enrolled in a home study program with the Vermont Agency of Education. Enroll before the school year starts, because a child with no enrollment may be considered truant.
Keeps most core subjects home
Home study requires at least three of the five core subjects (reading and writing, math, history and citizenship, literature, and natural sciences) to be taught at home, so your child can take at most two at school.
Fits within space limits
Home study students follow the same enrollment procedures, deadlines, and capacity limits as full-time students, including waiting lists for full classes.
What your child can use
Burlington Policy C6 opens district courses, programs, and equipment to home study students, and the Vermont Agency of Education sets the course limits.
- Core academic courses
- Up to 2 of 5
- Electives
- As space permits
- Athletics and extracurricular activities
- As space permits
- School educational materials and equipment
- Allowed
- Regional career and technical education (CTE) program
- No cost if accepted
Policy C6 leaves the details to administrative procedures that are not posted, so ask the Superintendent's Office how to request a course or activity and what deadlines apply.
How to join classes
- Before the school year
Enroll in home study
File the Notice of Intent with the Vermont Agency of Education for a first year, or the Annual Notice to re-enroll.
- Before course registration
Contact the local school
Work with your child's Burlington school to arrange enrollment and scheduling, and meet the same registration deadlines as enrolled students.
- If a class is full
Join the waiting list
Your child is placed on the waiting list under the same criteria used for full-time students.
- For career programs
Apply to the regional CTE center
Home study students can apply to their regional career and technical education center and attend at no cost if accepted.
What it includes
Included
- Up to two core academic courses
- Electives
- Sports teams and extracurricular clubs
- Use of school materials and equipment
- Regional CTE programs, if accepted
Not included
- More than two of the five core courses
- Priority over enrolled students for full classes
Who to contact about participation
The district directs policy questions, including how Policy C6 is carried out, to the Superintendent's Office.
802-865-5332 Policies and procedures
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Vermont
You must submit the initial Home Study Notice of Intent, then an Annual Notice of Continued Enrollment each year, at least 10 business days before starting. Wait for Agency of Education confirmation. You must notify the Secretary in writing within 10 business days after a student leaves the home-study program.
Vermont sets these rules:
- Subjects: For children under 13, teach reading, writing, numbers, citizenship/history/government, PE and health, literature, natural sciences, and fine arts. At 13 or older, PE/health and fine arts are not mandated. Provide the equivalent of at least 175 days of instruction annually.
- Testing: Complete an annual assessment and retain it; routine submission to the Agency of Education is not required. Options include a qualifying test, teacher assessment, parent report with work samples, online-academy grades, or a GED certificate.
- Records: Keep the annual assessment evidence. A parent report used for assessment must include at least four work samples. Retaining the enrollment confirmation is also recommended.
- Teachers: Vermont does not require a teaching certificate or degree to homeschool your own child.
Read the Vermont homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Vermont
Questions parents ask
- Can my child play on a Burlington school sports team?
- Yes. Athletics and extracurricular activities are open to home study students as space permits, under the same procedures and deadlines as enrolled students.
- What if the Burlington class my child wants is full?
- Your child goes on the waiting list under the same criteria as full-time students, such as birth date for a class like driver's education.
- Will courses taken at the school count toward a diploma?
- It depends on the local school. The Agency of Education does not issue home study diplomas, so if you want a diploma from the local school, work with its guidance department to assess credits and proficiencies.
- Can my child borrow school materials or equipment?
- Yes. Policy C6 says home study students may use school educational materials and equipment. Ask the Superintendent's Office or your local school how to request specific items.
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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