So you want to start homeschooling in the Triangle Region of North Carolina.

Since 1993, homeschooling has been legal in all 50 states in the U.S., and according to a report released in April 2017 from the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2011 – 2012 school year (the most recent data available), over 3 percent of the school-age population was homeschooled.

Its fairly common knowledge among homeschooling circles that North Carolina is a very homeschool friendly state with a low to moderate level of regulation.  With just a handful of requirements that have to be met you can begin homeschooling in North Carolina in very short order. It's what has allowed homeschooling to flourish in the Old North State which has seen double digit year-over-year growth rates to an estimated 200,000+ students.  Wake County has over 18,000 homeschooled students alone!

In fact if homeschooled students in North Carolina were grouped into a single school district, it would be the states third largest behind Wake County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

North Carolina is also the only state in the union that has a Division of Non-Public Education. Their website features a homeschool portal that tells you everything you need to know to get the ball rolling. Once you create an account you can manage your registration with the state as needed, for instance if you add a student or move to a new house, or decide to close your homeschool.

Homeschooling in North Carolina: The Basics

Its easy to comply with the requirements that North Carolina sets forth.

1. Live in North Carolina and maintain an accurate permanent mailing address in the Division of Non-Public Education file (G.S.115C-552).
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2. File a notice of intent with the NC Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) to operate a homeschool.
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3. The teacher will need to submit proof that he/she has a minimum of a high school diploma.  (G.S. 115C-564)
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4. You will need to name your school, and it is important to know that you can not change the name.
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5. After you open your school, you will need to keep attendance records (sample) showing that you schooled on a regular basis for a minimum of 9 months annually. (G.S. 115C-548)
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6. Administer a nationally standardized test, or other equivalent measurement, that measures achievement in the areas of English grammar, reading, spelling, and math, to every student each year, and maintain the results on file for one year, subject to inspection by a duly authorized representative of the State. (G.S. 115C-549,557,564)  (See requirements)
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7. Maintain immunization records on each student. See https://immunize.nc.gov/
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8. Provide required records for inspection to an official of the Division of Non-Public Education when requested (G.S.115C-553, 549).
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9. Close the home school within 30 days by notifying Division of Non-Public Education when there are no more students being actively home schooled (i.e. when all students have been enrolled in another school or graduated). Schools may be reopened at a later time if necessary. You may close a school by logging into the system. (G.S 115C-552, 115C-564).

Need more information about getting started?

NC Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE)
1309 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1309
(919) 733-4276
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Website: http://www.ncdnpe.org/

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