New Hampshire Homeschool Laws

The New Hampshire Supreme Court has reaffirmed the fundamental right to homeschool, and the following guidelines will help you comply with state law.

New Hampshire homeschooling laws include the following guidelines.

1. Provide appropriate notification to the authorities by filing an initial notice with a “participating agency” (the commissioner of education, public school district superintendent, or principal of a non-public school):
   • Within five days of commencing a homeschool program, or
   • Upon moving into a new school district and changing participating agencies
   • The notice must include the names, addresses, and birth dates of the children being homeschooled. If you terminate a home education program, you must provide a written notice of termination and file it with the commissioner of education and the resident district superintendent or non-public school principal (whichever serves as the participating agency) within 15 days.
2. Teach the required subjects, which include:
   • Science
   • Math
   • Language
   • Government
   • History
   • Health
   • Reading
   • Writing
   • Spelling
   • The history of the constitutions of New Hampshire and the United States
   • An exposure to and appreciation of art and music
3. Keep good records. A homeschooling parent is required by law to maintain a portfolio of records and materials relative to the home education program, including a log of reading materials used and samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or produced. You should retain the portfolio for two years.
4. Evaluate your child annually with any of the following:
   • A written evaluation of educational progress by a certified teacher or current non-public school teacher selected by the parent, prepared after reviewing the student’s portfolio and discussing with the parent or child
   • The results of any national student achievement test administered by a person meeting the provider’s or publisher’s qualifications.
   • The results of the state student assessment test used by the resident district.
   • An evaluation using any other valid measurement tool mutually agreed upon by the parent and the participating agency.
   • You should keep the evaluation results, not send to the participating agency. The law states that the results of the evaluation may be used to demonstrate a child’s academic proficiency in order to participate in public school programs but shall not be used as a basis for terminating a home education program.
5. Notify the department of education if you graduate your student before the age of 18. The law recognizes that parents may exempt a child who is under age 18 from compulsory attendance if he/she has completed a homeschool program at the high school level. The law allows parents to “document the completion of a homeschool program at the high school level by submitting a certificate or a letter to the department of education.”

Here you’ll find websites for any questions you may have about education in the state of New Hampshire.

• New Hampshire Department of Education: https://www.education.nh.gov/
• New Hampshire State Board of Education: https://www.education.nh.gov/who-we-are/state-board-of-education
• New Hampshire Department of Education Family Voices: https://nhfv.org/resources/nh-department-of-education-doe/
• List of New Hampshire school districts: https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_school_districts_in_New_Hampshire
• Commencement of a Home Education Program form: https://www.education.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt326/files/inline-documents/sonh/notification-of-commencement-of-a-home-education-program.pdf

Whether you already homeschool in New Hampshire or are looking to do so, these resources are quite useful if you’re searching for support, co-ops, or answers to questions about homeschooling in your state.

• Chocorua Area Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/620386941345844/
• Central NH Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralnhhomeschoolers/?__mref=message
• Granite State Home Educators: https://granitestatehomeeducators.org/
• Lakes Region Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/523227614423501/
• Monadnock Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MonadnockHomeschoolers/
• North Country Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/North-Country-Homeschoolers-208636886248
• New Hampshire Homeschooling Coalition: https://nhhomeschooling.org/support-groups/
• Homeschooling in New Hampshire: https://www.homeschoolinginnewhampshire.com/support/support-groups
• WeAre Home Educators: https://wearehomeeducators.com/
• Homeschooling Families of Seacoast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/589626611060167/
• Relaxed Homeschoolers of New Hampshire: https://www.facebook.com/Relaxed-Homeschoolers-of-New-Hampshire-147090431988444/
• Unschooling NH: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnschoolingNH/

One of the many benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility to explore! Here are some ideas for amazing–and educational–field trips around the great state of New Hampshire!

• American Independence Museum: Exeter, NH
• Children’s Museum of New Hampshire: Dover, NH
• McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center: Concord NH
• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill: Bedford, NH
• Frost Farm: Derry, NH
• John Paul Jones House Museum: Portsmouth, NH
• Mt. Washington Observatory and Weather Discovery Center: North Conway, NH
• The Nature of Things: Nashua, NH
• New Hampshire Historical Society Museum: Concord, NH
• Sandy Point Discovery Center: Statham, NH
• Seacoast Science Center: Rye, NH
• SEE Science Center: Manchester, NH
• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center: Holderness, NH