How to Start Homeschooling in South Carolina

Yes. Homeschooling is legal in South Carolina under three separate statutes. Each one creates its own pathway:

• Option 1 falls under S.C. Code Section 59-65-40. You apply to your school district's board of trustees for approval.
• Option 2 falls under S.C. Code Section 59-65-45. You teach under the auspices of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS).
• Option 3 falls under S.C. Code Section 59-65-47. You join a homeschool association with at least 50 members.

All three pathways require the teaching parent to hold at least a high school diploma or GED. Under Option 1, a bachelor's degree also qualifies. No teaching certification is needed, and state law does not require a background check for the teaching parent under any of the three options. The differences come down to who oversees your program, what records and reports are required, and whether state testing applies.

Under S.C. Code Section 59-65-10, compulsory attendance runs from the school year in which your child is five years old before September 1 until your child's seventeenth birthday or high school graduation.

Kindergarten is part of that range, but there is an option: if your child is not six on or before September 1, you may elect for your child not to attend kindergarten by signing the written election form prescribed by the Department of Education with your school district.

Here is exactly what to do:

Step 1: Pick your pathway. This is your biggest decision. Option 1 involves school board approval, semiannual reports to the district, and state testing. Options 2 and 3 run through an association, with no statutory testing and no filings by you with the district. Compare the details below.

Step 2: Get your pathway in place. Do this before your child stops attending school. Here is what each option looks like:

• Option 1: Contact your school district office and ask for its home schooling application. The district's application asks for a description of your program, the texts and materials you will use, your methods of program evaluation, and the place of instruction. You also agree in writing to hold the district harmless for educational deficiencies. The board considers your application at a meeting; you are notified in advance and may be heard. Wait for approval before you begin.
• Option 2: Enroll with SCAIHS and follow its membership process. SCAIHS reports the number and grade level of member children to school districts by January 30. Keep your enrollment confirmation.
• Option 3: Find a qualifying association. Before you join, ask: "Does your association have at least 50 members?" An association with fewer than 50 members does not satisfy S.C. Code Section 59-65-47.

Step 3: Withdraw your child (if currently in school). South Carolina's homeschool statutes do not require a withdrawal letter to the school. You may still let the school know, in writing, that your child is being homeschooled under your option's statute. Keep a copy.

Step 4: Start teaching. Cover the required subjects, teach at least 180 days, and keep the records your option requires.

Your paperwork depends on your pathway. Here is the breakdown:

Option 1 (School Board): Submit the district's application for approval. Keep a plan book, diary, or other record of subjects taught and activities; a portfolio of samples of your child's work; and a record of evaluations of your child's progress, available for inspection on reasonable notice. Submit a semiannual progress report to the school district, including attendance records and individualized assessments in each basic area. If the district finds the program is not meeting the standards, the board must give you 30 days to correct the deficiencies before it may withdraw approval.

Option 2 (SCAIHS): Maintain bona fide membership and follow SCAIHS's academic standards. The statute does not have you file anything with the district; SCAIHS reports the number and grade level of member children to districts by January 30.

Option 3 (Association): Maintain bona fide membership and follow your association's standards. Keep a plan book or other record of subjects taught and activities, a portfolio of work samples, and a semiannual progress report including attendance records and documentation of progress in each basic area. You do not file these with the district. The association reports the number and grade level of member children to districts by January 30.

All three pathways require instruction in the same basic areas: reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies. In grades 7 through 12, composition and literature are also required. This comes from S.C. Code Sections 59-65-40(A)(3), 59-65-45(c), and 59-65-47(c). The curriculum "includes, but is not limited to," these areas, so you may teach more.

You choose your own curriculum. Under Option 1, your application describes the texts and materials you will use. Under Options 2 and 3, your association may suggest additional subjects as part of its standards.

All three pathways require an instructional year of at least 180 days.

Option 1 also requires an instructional day of at least 4.5 hours, excluding lunch and recesses (S.C. Code Section 59-65-40(A)(2)). Options 2 and 3 set no daily hours in the statute.

Under Options 1 and 3, attendance records are part of the semiannual progress report, so log your days as you go.

Testing differs by pathway.

Option 1: Your child participates in the annual statewide testing program approved by the State Board of Education for the appropriate grade level. A certified school district employee gives the tests, either with public school students or at your child's place of instruction, at your option. If the test is given at your home, you pay the test administrator. There is no fixed passing score; if your child scores below the public school promotion standard for one year, the board decides on appropriate placement. Children eligible for first grade also take a readiness test within the first fifteen instructional days.

Option 2: The statute sets no testing requirement. SCAIHS may require testing as part of its membership standards; ask SCAIHS.

Option 3: The statute sets no testing requirement. Your association may require testing as part of its standards; ask before you join.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the three statutory options:

Feature	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Oversight body	District board of trustees	SCAIHS	Association (50+ members)
How you qualify	Board approval	SCAIHS membership	Association membership
Daily hours	At least 4.5	Not set by statute	Not set by statute
Semiannual progress report	Yes, to the district	Not set by statute	Yes, kept in your records
Statutory testing	Annual statewide tests	None (association may require)	None (association may require)
Records open to district inspection	Yes	No	No

Keep all records and any test results regardless of which option you use.

Your child can play public school sports. Under South Carolina's Equal Access to Interscholastic Activities Act (S.C. Code Section 59-63-100), homeschool students may participate in interscholastic activities at their local public school. To be eligible, your child must meet academic eligibility standards verified by your homeschool oversight body, live in the school's attendance area, notify the superintendent in writing before the season begins, and meet the same behavioral and physical standards as other participants.

Dual enrollment. No South Carolina statute sets a dual enrollment program for home-schooled students. Each college decides whom it admits to its dual enrollment courses, so contact the college's dual enrollment office.

Diplomas and transcripts. Under all three pathways, you create your child's transcript and may award a diploma. SCAIHS and some associations also issue diplomas.

The ESTF comes with a trade-off. The Education Scholarship Trust Fund is an income-limited education savings program. It uses a separate legal category called "educate from home," and accepting ESTF means you must leave Options 1, 2, and 3. ESTF has its own annual testing and expense reporting requirements. Check current amounts, income limits, and application dates with the program before applying.

Keep records from day one. Under Options 1 and 3, keep a plan book or other record of subjects and activities, a portfolio of work samples, and semiannual progress reports with attendance. Under Option 2, follow SCAIHS's record standards.

Plan ahead if your child has special needs. When you withdraw from public school, your child generally loses IEP services. Contact your district about a Child Find evaluation. Under federal IDEA, some limited services may be available, but they are not guaranteed for homeschoolers. Some associations focus on supporting special needs families; ask when you are choosing your association.