Massachusetts vs New York: Homeschool Laws Compared

Massachusetts and New York sit in the same tier: both require notice and a periodic assessment. They still differ on 4 of the 9 rules compared: hours or days per year, required subjects, progress reports, and public school sports access.

Rules compared

9

Differences

4

Same in both

5

The rules, side by side

Rows where the two states differ are marked. Tap a state name for its full guide, deadlines, and sources.

Figures are the same verified compliance data shown on each state's page. Requirements change; confirm with your state before you rely on one.

Moving from Massachusetts to New York

Once you are a New York resident you homeschool under New York's rules. These are the ones that change.

1. Start logging from your first day: New York counts 900 hours (990 for grades 7-12) a year, and Massachusetts set no minimum.
2. New York's required list adds math, science, english, social studies, visual arts, and library skills and drops reading, writing, english grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, united states history, and citizenship compared with Massachusetts's. Match New York's wording in your records.
3. Reports go from once a year in Massachusetts to four times a year in New York.
4. Can homeschoolers play public school sports? In New York the answer is no; in Massachusetts it was district decides.

Moving from New York to Massachusetts

Once you are a Massachusetts resident you homeschool under Massachusetts's rules. These are the ones that change.

1. Massachusetts sets no hour or day minimum. Keep the log anyway; it is what you show if anyone asks, and what you build a transcript from.
2. Massachusetts's required list adds reading, writing, english grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, united states history, and citizenship and drops math, science, english, social studies, visual arts, and library skills compared with New York's. Match Massachusetts's wording in your records.
3. Reports go from four times a year in New York to once a year in Massachusetts.
4. Can homeschoolers play public school sports? In Massachusetts the answer is district decides; in New York it was no.

What stays the same

Massachusetts and New York match on notice of intent, testing or evaluation, the portfolio, compulsory school ages, and ESA funding. Your habits on those carry over unchanged.

Do your records transfer?

Neither Massachusetts nor New York takes homeschool records from another state, and there is no transfer process between them. You keep your own: the hours or attendance log, work samples, and any grades or transcripts. Those are what the new state, and later a college, may ask to see. Homeschool Fox keeps them in one account that moves with your family.

Keep comparing

• California vs New York 6 rules differ
• Connecticut vs Massachusetts 4 rules differ
• Connecticut vs New York 6 rules differ
• Florida vs Massachusetts 4 rules differ
• Florida vs New York 6 rules differ
• Georgia vs New York 7 rules differ
• Massachusetts vs New Hampshire 6 rules differ
• Massachusetts vs Rhode Island 4 rules differ
• Massachusetts vs Vermont 4 rules differ
• New Jersey vs New York 5 rules differ
• New York vs North Carolina 7 rules differ
• New York vs Pennsylvania 7 rules differ
• New York vs South Carolina 8 rules differ
• New York vs Texas 7 rules differ
• New York vs Vermont 5 rules differ
• States With Homeschool Hour and Day Requirements All 21 states in one table
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• States That Require Homeschool Progress Reports All 22 states in one table