In Nebraska, a homeschool is considered a private school that elects not to meet accreditation or approval requirements for religious or nonreligious reasons. You first need to set up a private school in your home, and then enroll your children in it, using the forms found here. Here’s how:

1. Annually file a Parent or Guardian Form.

Both parents must sign and file a Parent or Guardian Form (Form A). This form requires you to state under oath that requirements for state approval and accreditation of your school either “interfere with my decisions in directing my child(ren)’s education” or “violate my sincerely held religious beliefs.” This form must be filed promptly upon beginning homeschooling in Nebraska and by July 15 each year thereafter.

The first year that you homeschool, you must send a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate (or other reliable proof of your child’s identity and age accompanied by an affidavit explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate, a sample of which may be found attached below) to the Nebraska Department of Education. If for some reason both parents cannot or will not sign Form A, HSLDA members may contact us to discuss what options may be available to you.

2. Annually file a Parent Representative Form.

You must file the Parent Representative Form (Form B) to affirm your acceptance of certain responsibilities. These include the duty to submit information on student enrollment and attendance, monitors, and the sequential program of instruction. This form must be filed promptly upon beginning homeschooling in Nebraska and by July 15 each year thereafter.

3. Annually file an Information Summary.

The Information Summary is a supplemental sheet to Form B. You must file this within 30 days of the first time you file Forms A and B, and by July 15 each year thereafter. It must include:

  • a calendar for the school year (July 1–June 30) indicating a minimum instruction of 1,080 hours in secondary schools and 1,032 hours in elementary schools. (For a homeschool, this can be a general statement of when the school term begins and ends.)
  • a list of all “instructional monitors” in the homeschool (typically the parents), including their names, ages, and highest levels of education completed.
  • a scope and sequence for each grade level being taught.

4. Teach the required subjects.

On your Parent or Guardian Form (Form A), you must indicate that you will provide instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health, and that you, as the parents, are satisfied that the instructor(s) are qualified to monitor instruction in these skills. Nebraska does not require any specific qualifications to teach these subjects other than the parents’ satisfaction.

5. Comply with vaccination requirements.

If you indicate a nonreligious reason for homeschooling, you must also affirm that you understand that your school must comply with vaccination requirements (unless you have an exemption from vaccinating).

Please note: The information on this page has been reviewed by an attorney, but it should not be taken as legal advice specific to your individual situation.