You must enroll your child in school if he or she will be 6 years old on or before December 31. If your child is 6 years old, but will not turn 7 on or before December 31, you can obtain an exemption for that school year by filing a notarized statement with your local public school district.
Your child is required to attend school until he or she turns 18 years old. If your child graduates from your homeschool program prior to turning 18, you can obtain an exemption for subsequent school years by filing Form D with the Nebraska Department of Education. If your child has not yet graduated, but is over the age of 16, you can obtain an exemption by filing a notarized Form C with the commissioner of education.
All homeschool exemption forms can be obtained from your local school district or the Nebraska Department of Education's website. If your child is 6 years old, you can file an alternate exemption form with your local school district instead of Rule 12 or Rule 13 paperwork.
HSLDA believes that a parent-issued diploma and transcript should be sufficient to demonstrate that a child has completed a secondary education. However, even if your child is beyond compulsory school attendance age, there may be situations where you would want to continue to follow the requirements of a home education option recognized under Nebraska law until your child graduates from high school (filing a home education notice, keeping attendance and other records, etc.).
These records may be requested in some situations, such as obtaining a driver's license if your child is a minor, enlisting in the military, applying to colleges, or demonstrating eligibility for Social Security benefits. If you are a member of HSLDA and would like additional details, please contact us.
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.