Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

This topic has 21 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 5 months ago by petitemom.

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August 8, 2013 at 2:55 pm
art
Participant
My husband is looking at a job in Charlotte, and I was wondering if it is easier to hoemschool in North or South Carolina. We could choose, because he’d work at the airport and we know that people live in both places.
But I like to homeschool with minimal interference from the state, and minimum info given them. I also don’t like portfolios and such if I can help it. Ohio (where I live now) is pretty good for all that, but I’m thinking I’d have a little more messing around in either of these states.
Could anyone tell me what it’s really like in either place?
August 8, 2013 at 3:17 pm
missceegee
Participant
I would check with HSLDA – http://www.hslda.org/laws/ – first.
I would encourage you to keep a basic portfolio no matter what. Keep a list of educational materials & activities and when they are used; samples of any written work from beginning, middle, and end of year; maybe even some pictures of projects and such. It need not be terribly elaborate unless required by law, but ALL homeschoolers should keep one. It’s about doing what we do with integrity and being above reproach. There are those that would see our right to homeschool in any manner done away with. We all need to do our part to avoid giving those people ammunition of any sort. If you are ever questioned, which happens all too often, a portfolio is proof that you’re doing what you’re supposed to be. I know some homeschoolers will say that they don’t have to prove anything that the burden rests with the state. Well, if the authorities knock on your door, you have a much stronger position with a bit of a paper trail.
OK, I’ll step off my soapbox now. 🙂
August 8, 2013 at 3:43 pm
godselect37
Participant
We live in SC and have a few friends just in NC. North Carolina requires yearly testing, but doesn’t report the findings – i would double check this. SC has three different reporting options 1) school district 2) SCHEAs & 3) third party accountability association. The third is probably what most homeschoolers that aren’t newbies/special needs or want a graduation do. We still have to keep records – plan book, attendance, portfolio but most third party groups do not require us to turn these into them, just have them for reporting purposes. Hope this helps.
August 8, 2013 at 5:18 pm
jotawatt
Participant
This is our 12th year of homeschooling in NC. The regs are pretty easy to comply with here. You have to notify the state (North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education) that you intend to homeschool. They have a lot of information online about how to do that; just google ncdnpe.
They require proof that the teacher or administrator of your school holds at least a high school diploma. They’ll want you to pick out a name for your homeschool and you’re not allowed to change that name, so if you go the NC route, make the name one you can live with! 🙂
You must keep a record of your students’ vaccinations at your school, or a letter explaining your conscientious objection to vaccinations. Every year your students must receive some form of standardized testing. They prefer that you send in copies of the test results, along with attendance sheets for each student, each year; but that is on a voluntary basis. If you choose not to send in your information, they reserve the right to come and inspect your homeschool to ensure compliance, although that’s never happened to anyone that I personally know. We have always just sent in our information. There are no laws requiring your students to perform at a certain level or to make a certain score on the tests.
That’s pretty much it; other guidelines that they give (like providing 5 hours of instruction per school day) are just suggestions, not requirements. There is a great deal of freedom here in NC.
HTH! Tara

August 8, 2013 at 6:17 pm
ruth
Participant
I just registered for our first year of homeschooling in NC. It was very easy to do online. They sent me a guidebook about the requireents for home education. http://www.ncdnpe.org/documents/HomeSchoolGuideBook.pdf
You are allowed to change your school name, you just have to refrence the original school name on all paperwork.
August 8, 2013 at 7:43 pm
cherylramirez
Participant
@missceegee: I heartily agree with you. We live in TX where there are no regulations, but I have kept yearly samples for the past 10 years. Art projects, handwriting sheets, old math, social studies notebooking…it is all stored in the shed in large rubbermaid containers. I have always said, “even though we are not accountable to the state we are accountable to God.” The problem is when to let it go…my dd is 15 – do I still need to keep her K-6 papers?
August 8, 2013 at 7:58 pm
missceegee
Participant
In FL, we’re required to keep a portfolio for 2 years. Because I school CM style, there isn’t that much in the way of paper for the early years, so I keep it all in a simple binder type thing. However, I could easily chunk 12 yo dd’s K-4 stuff with no trouble. I will always keep a minimum of 2 years of portfolios.
August 8, 2013 at 8:27 pm
art
Participant
Thanks for the helpful info. It sounds like NC might be preferable. Plus, my husband flew with someone the other day that said they live in a very nice, not too expensive place they really like a lot in NC. So I guess if it works out, we’ll start our home search there.
Now to wait weeks and weeks for the company to make a decision.
August 8, 2013 at 9:03 pm
jotawatt
Participant
Wow! Ruth, I just looked up the name change thing and you’re right! For years they haven’t allowed it, but they have been making changes in their rules lately. I’m glad that’s one of them. I’ve been wanting to change the name I picked all those years ago…:) –Tara
August 9, 2013 at 12:38 am
mom28
Participant
We live in Charlotte and love it! If I can answer any questions, PM me.

Pam
August 9, 2013 at 1:38 am
Shannon
Participant
For what it is worth, I don’t think it is correct to say we (in NC) can have a letter explaining why we object to vaccinations in place of the actual vaccine record. NC does not allow for a philosophical objection, only medical and religious exemption. You can claim religious exemption but you then need to not do any vaccines (or I think technically, none after you sign the exemption paper).
It IS easy to homeschool here and for that, I am grateful.
August 9, 2013 at 1:57 am
art
Participant
So, a question about the vaccination thing. I’ve never had to deal with it before. We have our kids pretty much vaccinated. But one of our kids had a pretty obvious, long term problem with it. They would never agree at the Dr. office, but I’m not likely to get her any more shots. So it’s not religious or officially medical. Isn’t it just up to me to decide and keep a record of what I’ve done? In Ohio, it never comes up if you homeschool. This would be a very big deal to me, because of what happened after her last vaccine. I am in no way interested in a discussion here of vaccinations and medical results or anything like that. I’m just wondering how this would play out in our homeschooling in NC.
Actually, in looking at the laws, it seems to me that you just have to keep a record. I didn’t see anywhere that says you have to get vaccinations to comply with the law. it said you have to be provided with info about the effectiveness of vaccines and about the diseases they prevent, but it doesn’t to say you have to explain why you don’t want to. Am I wrong? Or has the school board just given the impression that you have to–sometimes they like to do that.
August 9, 2013 at 3:40 am
danaholt
Participant
I live in SC. It’s very easy here. Most people are on the third option, which means you need to belong to an accountability group. All that means is that you sign a paper stating that you hold at least a high school diploma, will keep an attendance log (just a sheet stating how many days you homeschooled), will keep a record of what your kids have done and a portfolio. There are no guidelines to the portfolio and the amount needed. All of this is kept at your home and you do not need to turn it in. No testing is required. At the end of the year, you sign a paper saying you did the above things. You do not report to the state. You only sign up with your group and they report the number of people in their group. Your name and kids are not handed over to the state. I agree with Missceegee, I would look at HSLDA and compare the laws.
August 9, 2013 at 4:10 am
2flowerboys
Participant
art, you are not required to vaccinate. They just make you feel like you are doing something illegal if you don’t! Here are some great webinars for you!
http://www.doctoreisenstein.com/?page_id=205
August 9, 2013 at 11:54 am
junkybird
Participant
I, too, live in SC and love it. We are in Greenville. And I must say, Greenvile is growing! By leaps and bounds 🙂 Danaholt explained everything–I can’t add anything. It is so easy to homeschool here. I use PHEA for my option three accountability group and they are super easy.
Jenn
PS
On a side note, I can’t stand Charlotte traffic. It is horrendous! Everytime we go up I-85 we get stuck in some sort of traffic 🙂 Just something to think about. . . .