Homeschools in North Carolina

Homeschools in North Carolina are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Non Public Education  which administers the requirements of the North Carolina General Statutes governing both conventional non-public schools (private schools) and homeschools.

North Carolina law defines a home school as “a nonpublic school consisting of the children of not more than two families or households, where the parents or legal guardians or members of either household determine the scope and sequence of academic instruction, provide academic instruction, and determine additional sources of academic instruction.”

Two household schools are permitted. The home school academic instructional setting must always meet the home school legal definition of G.S. 115C-563(a) and is limited to students from no more than two households.”

The North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) is authorized by that section of the state law (G.S. 115C-563a) to receive notices of intent to Homeschool.

 

  • Parents wishing to educate their children at home, need to inform the DNPE of their intent to homeschool by filing a Notice of Intent.
  •  If you have not previously filed a “Notice of Intent” form for your homeschool, one may be filed thirty days prior to your oldest homeschooled child’s seventh birthday. The school will need to be registered with DNPE no later than the child’s seventh birthday. * please see note
  • The main teaching parent needs to hold a high school diploma, or its equivalent, in order to homeschool.
  • Once the Homeschool is established, the administrators (parents/guardian) must maintain at the school their children’s immunization records and attendance records for each student.
  • Every year the students (aged 7 and up) must have a nationally standardized achievement test administered and the testing records should be kept ready for inspection by the NCDNPE by the Homeschool’s Administrator.
  • The annual test must be Nationally standardized and cover the subject areas of English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics. Records of the test results must be retained at the school for at least one year and made available to DNPE when requested.
  • Homeschool administrators can now report updates or changes online any time during the school year.
    Recommendations and details are available at the NCDNPE website and if you click on the links above they will take you there.

Note: if you are filing your Notice of Intent to Homeschool at the NCDNPE website, you will need to file it online during their office hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. The NCDNPE doesn’t accept new NOI’s during the month of June.

*From the NCDNPE website:  “…do not send a Notice of Intent to DNPE for the present school year if the only students to be enrolled in your home school: (a) are currently under age 7 and will not turn age 7 in the present/current school year, or (b) are currently 18 years of age or older. Please send your Notice of Intent a month in advance of your home school’s initial opening date. If any of your children will turn age 7 before this coming June 1, please send your Notice of Intent at least 30 days before the child’s 7th birthday. One Notice of Intent per school, please — not per student. No Notices of Intent are accepted in June. If your home school will operate only during the summer months, DO NOT send a Notice of Intent to DNPE. The State of North Carolina home school statistical year begins each July 1 and concludes the following June 30. Therefore, do not file your Notice of Intent until after July 1 of the home school statistical year in which your home school will begin initial operation.”

Visit the NCDNPE FAQ section for a detailed explanation of how to file the NOI if they are under seven years old and you are withdrawing them from a public school to homeschool them.