October 23, 2001
West Bridgewater Public Schools v. Mr. & Mrs. E
Request to home educate denied for failure to provide a phone number
Filed: August 21, 2001, Plymouth County.
Nature of Case: This member family filled out the school district's "Home Schooling Information" form, but did not include their unlisted personal phone number. The School Committee, in a letter dated 8-21-01, voted to deny the family's request to provide a home education program for the "lack of phone contact." Neither the Massachusetts statute relating to home education (Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 76 § 1) nor the leading Massachusetts case (Care and Protection of Charles) state that a family must supply a telephone number and, therefore, a school committee does not have the power to require a phone number. This situation may have deeper ramifications with respect to the policy of some Massachusetts school districts to insist upon face-to-face meetings with parents.
Status: HSLDA has written a letter to the school board explaining to them that the family does not need to provide a phone number.
Last Updated: October 23, 2001.
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