How to Start Homeschooling in Nevada

Absolutely. Homeschooling is legal in Nevada. Under NRS 392.070, a child's public school enrollment and attendance are excused when a parent chooses to provide the child's education and files a notice of intent to homeschool under NRS 388D.020.

There is no approval process. The purpose of the notice is to inform your school district that your child is exempt from compulsory enrollment and attendance (NRS 388D.020(3)). The district then gives you a written acknowledgment, which is proof of compliance with Nevada's compulsory attendance law (NRS 388D.020(7)).

Nevada also protects homeschooled children from discrimination. A school or organization may not discriminate in any manner against a child who is or was homeschooled (NRS 388D.040(2)).

Nevada's compulsory education applies from age 6 until age 18 or high school graduation (NRS 392.040). Kindergarten is not compulsory.

If your child is under the compulsory age, you do not need to file anything. When your family is ready, you start.

Starting homeschool in Nevada takes four steps.

Step 1: Get the notice of intent form. The Nevada Department of Education has a standard notice of intent to homeschool form, and school districts make only that form available to parents (NRS 388D.020(1)). Ask your district for it. The form may not require anything beyond what the law requires.

Step 2: Prepare your educational plan. Your notice includes an educational plan covering English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, including history, geography, economics, and government, as appropriate for your child's age and skill level as you determine (NRS 388D.050). You do not need to list textbooks or daily schedules.

Step 3: File with the superintendent. File the notice with the superintendent of schools of the district where your child resides. File it before you begin homeschooling, within 10 days after your child is formally withdrawn from public school, or within 30 days after establishing Nevada residency (NRS 388D.020(2)).

Step 4: Start teaching and keep your acknowledgment. The district gives you a written acknowledgment that you provided the required notice. Keep it with your records. It is your proof of compliance.

The notice is one-time only. File a new notice within 30 days if your name, your child's name, or your address changes (NRS 388D.020(4)).

One document: a notice of intent to homeschool, filed with the superintendent of schools of the district where your child resides (NRS 388D.020). Use the Department of Education's standard form, which your district provides. The law limits the notice to the items listed in NRS 388D.020(5), including your educational plan.

Timing matters. File before you begin homeschooling. If you are withdrawing from public school, file within 10 days after the formal withdrawal. If you are new to Nevada, file within 30 days of establishing residency.

No annual renewal and no end-of-year reports. The superintendent may not request any additional information or assurances from you (NRS 388D.020(6)).

If your child is currently in public school, file your notice of intent with the superintendent within 10 days after your child is formally withdrawn (NRS 388D.020(2)). State law does not require a separate letter to the school; ask the school how it completes the withdrawal itself.

If you want copies of your child's records, the superintendent must process a written request for district records about a homeschooled child within 5 days (NRS 388D.030).

If your child has an IEP: Think this through before you withdraw. Under NRS 392.072, districts provide special education and related services to eligible homeschooled children in the same manner as for children parents place in private schools under federal law. Call your district's special education office before you withdraw so you understand what your child will have access to.

Your educational plan covers these subject areas under NRS 388D.050(1):

• English language arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social studies, including history, geography, economics, and government

You decide what is appropriate for your child's age and skill level. The law does not require you to teach each subject every year (NRS 388D.050(3)).

There are no state-approved textbooks, no required scope and sequence, and no curriculum review. You pick the materials and the approach.

Nevada offers two pathways for education outside public school:

Pathway 1: Home Education Notification (NRS 388D.020). File a one-time notice of intent with your district superintendent, with an educational plan covering four subject areas. No renewal.

Pathway 2: Exempt Private School (NRS chapter 394). You enroll your child in a private school that holds this exemption. Enrollment in a private school excuses compulsory attendance (NRS 392.070), so you file nothing yourself; the duties below are the school's. The school's exemption is filed with the Nevada State Board of Education on forms provided by the Department of Education. It expires 2 years after the end of the month of filing and must be renewed at least 60 days before it expires. After a filing, the Superintendent arranges an inspection for compliance with health, safety, and other applicable laws (NRS 394.211). An exempt school keeps a calendar of at least 180 school days a year (NAC 394.0195(1)(g)) and meets a minimum school day of 240 minutes through grade 2, 300 minutes for grades 3 to 6, and 330 minutes for grades 7 to 12 (NAC 387.131). It teaches the subjects required for public school pupils and the U.S. and Nevada Constitutions (NRS 394.130, 394.150), and a student must pass a Constitution examination before receiving a diploma. Whoever teaches the Constitutions must show adequate knowledge of them by examination or college study (NRS 394.160). The school furnishes reports on enrollment, attendance and general progress when the Superintendent asks (NRS 394.130(6)) and reports its number of teachers by October 15 each year (NAC 394.0195(2)).

Virtual public schools are public schools. A child enrolled in one is a public school student, not a homeschooled child.

You do not need teaching credentials. Nevada's homeschool statutes set no instructor qualifications for the parent, and a background check is not required by state law.

Keep your acknowledgment permanently. The district's written acknowledgment is proof of compliance with Nevada's compulsory attendance law (NRS 388D.020(7)). The district keeps a copy for at least 15 years. Keep yours with a digital backup.

Be ready to show your plan if a court asks. You must be prepared to present your educational plan and proof of your child's identity to a court of law if the court requires it (NRS 388D.050(2)). Keeping a simple record of what you teach each year also helps when building a high school transcript.

Your child can play school sports. Under NRS 392.074, a homeschooled child must be allowed to participate in interscholastic activities and events governed by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association. File a notice of intent to participate with your school district (NRS 388D.070).

Your child can take public school classes. Under NRS 392.074, the school board must let your child take public school classes and activities (other than sports) if space is available, your child is qualified, and you have filed a current notice of intent to participate for the school year.

You issue the diploma. Nevada has no state homeschool diploma. You create your child's diploma and transcript.