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CAMBRIDGE TOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT

CODE F23
(Mandatory)

PARTICIPATION OF HOME STUDY STUDENTS IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

Policy
In accordance with Act 119 of the 1998 Vermont legislative session it is the policy of the Cambridge School District to encourage home study students to participate in courses, programs, activities, and services and use school educational materials and equipment. Close communications between home study students and their local public schools are encouraged to promote the benefits of joint participation.

Background
The Cambridge School District recognizes that some families believe home schooling is the best educational format for their children. The Cambridge School District believes that home study and fully enrolled students can benefit from participating together in school activities and programs and strives to provide educational services in ways which are consistent with the needs of both fully enrolled students and home study students.

General Guidelines for Home Study Student Participation

1. Special Services: Special education services are available to all students found eligible under criteria set forth in state and federal regulations.
2. Compliance with Procedures: All students will comply with the application and enrollment deadlines as well as all legal and policy requirements such as immunization and the provision of student information including health records, emergency contacts and other necessary background information outlined in the administrative procedures. All students must abide by rules of conduct and other conditions set forth in the student handbook, school policies and procedures.
3. Supervision of Students: School personnel are responsible for supervising students during their approved participation in school- sponsored activities. Parents of home study students must provide supervision for their children when they are at school but not participating formally in school activities.
4. Transportation: Home study students may participate in the regular school transportation arrangements to attend school programs in which they are enrolled. The school will not supply special transportation except as provided for in law.

Participation of Home Study Students in Programs and Activities Shall Be Subject to the Following Conditions:

1. Home study students must supply to the school a copy of their formal home study enrollment notification from the Commissioner of Education.
2. All students are subject to the same age, performance, and pre-requisite standards for admission to courses and co-curricular activities
3. Home study students seeking admission to courses requiring prerequisites will be asked to demonstrate academic achievement comparable to that required of fully enrolled students meeting prerequisite standards. The teacher/guidance counselor/Principal will discuss alternative ways to demonstrate achievement with the parents of home study students. Final determination of a student’s qualifications to enroll in a course requiring prerequisites will be made by the teacher/guidance counselor/Principal.
4. Students may not enroll for single subjects which are taught as part of integrated courses - those courses that cover two or more subjects and are taught by a single individual or team - but may seek admission to the integrated course.
5. Participation in athletic and other extra-curricular programs and activities will be in compliance with the school’s eligibility requirements as well as with the guidelines adopted by the Vermont Principals’ Association.
6. It may be neither practical nor feasible for home study students to participate in special programs that have unclear or flexible schedules. The parents of home study students must take the initiative to check with the school on the scheduling of events and possible changes that may occur.
7. The parents of home study students may be asked to provide supervision for some activities on the same basis as the parents of fully enrolled students.
8. Home study students may participate in the school’s standardized testing program at the regularly scheduled times after giving appropriate notice to the school as outlined in the administrative procedures.

Use of Facilities, Equipment and Materials by Home Study Students Is Subject to the Following Conditions:

1. The use by home study students does not interrupt or disrupt regularly scheduled uses.
2. Request for use has been made and approved according to the administrative procedures that apply to all requests for such use.
3. The use does not involve removal of equipment from the school premises except as explicitly allowed.
4. Library books and other materials are signed out according to established procedures and are subject to replacement or fines for damage or loss as defined in the administrative procedures.

School Administration

1. The school will include home study students on the school register and count them for the purpose of state aid for the portion of the school day in which students are enrolled in academic courses. For each co-curricular activity in which a non-enrolled home study student participates, the school shall count 0.03 FTE as allowed under rule 9200.3.1. The capacities of classroom courses and other co-curricular activities are outlined in administrative procedures and updated regularly to reflect the class sizes specifically desired by the District, the capacity of special equipment used in science, language, business laboratories or other specialized classrooms, or other limitations on participation.
2. In cases where applications for enrollment exceed capacity, first priority for enrollment in curricular and co-curricular activities will be determined considering the following for all students:
• Is the course or activity needed as a pre-requisite to another course or activity?
• Is graduation of the student dependent upon completion of the course?

In the absence of other prevailing factors, enrollment will be determined by (choose appropriate option(s):

• lottery
• first-come, first-served
• performance-based criteria
• first priority given to fully enrolled students [in co-curricular activities only; this option may not be applied to admissions to academic programs]
• other.

When choices for admission to either academic or co-curricular programs must be made because of limited space, the School District will report to the Commissioner of Education on the form provided. The District shall provide other information on the integration of home study students into the public school as requested by the Commissioner. The Principal (or designee) is responsible for administering this policy and for all decisions made under the direction of this policy. The Principal will act on all requests within 10 working days of receiving the request.

Appeals Process
Should a parent disagree or have concerns with the Principal’s decision, an appeal may be made to the Superintendent of Schools. Within ten working days of receiving an appeal, the Superintendent shall meet with the parent(s) or guardian(s) and make a decision on the appeal in a prompt fashion. A final appeal from the Superintendent’s decision may be made to the Cambridge Elementary School Board which will schedule a timely hearing and render a final decision within ten working days of the hearing date.