Public School Home School Assistance Programs (HSAP)
What is a Home School Assistance Program?
A Home School Assistance Program [HSAP] is a program a local public school district may offer to resident or open-enrolled homeschooled students.
School districts are not required to provide HSAPs
and parents are not required to enroll their students
in a HSAP, if their district provides one.
The Home School Assistance Programs that do exist across the state of Iowa vary widely as to how they operate and the services they offer.
In general, all HSAPs provide
a supervising teacher for HSAP-enrolled students.
This supervising teacher is selected and assigned by the public school district.
Those school districts that offer Home School Assistance Programs receive state funding (30% of the full student level) for each HSAP-enrolled student.
Home School Assistance Programs
are allowed to impose any additional requirements
that they deem necessary
upon students enrolled in their programs.
Home School Assistance Program FAQS
Am I required to enroll my child in the HSAP if my school district has one?
Enrollment in a public school Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) is an option, not a requirement.
The decision as to whether or not a child is enrolled in a HSAP is made by the parent.
A school district cannot automatically enroll your child in its HSAP, if it has one.
There are specific legal requirements for parents of children who are enrolled in a Home School Assistance Program.
Do parents of HSAP-enrolled students have to file CPI Form A and submit immunization records to the public school?
Parents of children enrolled in a public school Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) must file a CPI Form A including attached immunization records with, at minimum, Items 1, 2, 4, and 6 completed and with the item on the back of the form requesting HSAP enrollment marked as well.
If other optional services, like special education services or dual enrollment, are desired, those items should be completed as well.
A school district can condition participation in its HSAP upon the entire form being completed.
Does HSAP enrollment grant student access to public school services?
No. HSAP enrollment, by itself, does not grant access to public school extracurricular activities, regular district classes, Senior Year Plus programs, special education services, etc..
Rather, access to these is obtained through dual enrollment.
Students can be HSAP-enrolled and dual-enrolled at the same time.
May I open enroll my child into another school district in order to access the HSAP in that district?
Yes. You must follow the prescribed procedures outlined in the open enrollment law and rules.
This includes the submission of the required application to the resident district.
Note that, although a 2022 law change eliminated it, a 2024 law change reinstated the March 1 filing deadline. Exceptions are allowed if good cause can be presented.
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