Public District Options for EFA Students who were formerly Home Educated Seeking Services in the Public School

The following provides information about Education Freedom Account (EFA) students who were formerly home educated. According to RSA 194-F:2, IX, a home education program pursuant to RSA 193-A:5 is terminated upon the commencement of a student’s participation in an EFA program. A parent shall provide notification pursuant to RSA 193-A:5 when a student starts participating in an EFA program.

State law has established the EFA program to operate as a separate educational pathway. The educational pathways are as follows: 1) District Education 2) Charter Education 3) Nonpublic Institution Education 4) Home Education 5) Education Freedom Account (EFA). Each pathway is potentially afforded different levels of access to education programming that is taxpayer funded. Once a student accepts an EFA, they are not considered home educated as they forfeit some rights a home education student has. For example, the right to attend their resident district class and to attend that class free of charge.

The district has 3 options when it comes to an EFA student seeking to take a class or attend any specials (extracurricular activities) offered by the district.

1. Not allow the student to take the class (unless they leave the EFA program, then the district would be required to have the student take the class as a home educated student).

2. Allow the student to take the class and don’t charge tuition (This is what district would do for a home educated student).

3. Charge a per class tuition.

If the district decides to go with option three, there is no set State standard for how tuition should be charged. The district might need to talk to an attorney on how to structure this or how to approach the families.