The Burlington Home School Assistance Program (BHSAP) offers guidance, resources, and community for homeschoolers.
What BHSAP offers
- Enrichment classes (Legos, literature, art, music, kitchen chemistry, history/genealogy, anatomy)
- Field trips (museums, Amanas, Kalona, area businesses)
- Monthly trips to Starr's Cave Nature Center
- Instructional supervision
- Curriculum resources
- Liaison between home and school (support with dual enrollment)
- Opportunities for home educators to share and network
- Assessments
- Online courses
- District and Area Education Agency services
- Tutoring
What is a homeschool assistance program?
Public school districts are not required to have a homeschool assistance program (HSAP).
If a district does have such a program, it must employ one or more properly licensed instructors to provide instruction or instructional supervision of competent private instruction (CPI).
The instructor is required to have contact with the child and the child's parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian at least four times per quarter, half of which must be face-to-face with the child.
The instructor also is to advise the parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian about lesson plans, instructional materials, teaching/learning techniques, evaluation of student learning, planning, etc.
HSAP is not available to children receiving independent private instruction (IPI).
How to start home school
1. Seek out information. Call the HSAP program, talk to other homeschool parents, review the Department of Education website.
2. Notify the district. If your child is currently in school, let the school know. If your child is not currently in school, contact the Administration Building by calling (319) 753-6791.
3. Fill out a Form A and return it to the Administration Building by Sept. 1 or within the first 14 days of beginning homeschool. Form A can be found at educateiowa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/Annual_Form_A_PrivateInstruction_2.pdf
4. Contact the Burlington Home School Assistance Program! We're here to help with any questions you may have while filling out forms and getting started with the process.
How to dual enroll
- Make sure your CPI form is marked for dual enrollment at the beginning of the year.
- Contact your assigned school.
- Request available classes.
- Communicate with your teachers and explain your child is a homeschool student. It will be important they understand that your child is not there the entire day and will miss announcements. It will also be important because they may change the schedule and you need an advocate who will make you aware of changes.
Our home school teachers
Kelly Flaherty: Kelly.Flaherty@bcsds.org
Caroline Massner: Caroline.Massner@bcsds.org