How to Comply with South Carolina’s Homeschool Law

You may comply with the homeschool law by simply enrolling in SCAIHS and following the rules and policies for homeschooling that SCAIHS requires. Additional information about SCAIHS is available on its website.

State law requires SCAIHS to maintain the following minimum requirements for homeschooling parents:

1. You must have at least a high school diploma or GED.
2. You must teach your child for at least 180 days per school year.
3. Your curriculum must include reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and, in grades 7–12, composition and literature.

1. Find a homeschool association that has at least 50 member families.

You can find a list of these associations here, which is housed on this page of the South Carolina Department of Education’s website.

2. Comply with your homeschool association’s requirements.

State law requires homeschool associations to maintain the following minimum requirements for homeschooling parents:

1. You must have at least a high school diploma or GED.
2. You must teach your child for at least 180 days per school year.
3. Your curriculum must include reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and, in grades 7–12, composition and literature.
4. The educational records you keep must include:
   1. a plan book or other record of subjects taught and activities;
   2. a portfolio of samples of your child’s academic work; and
   3. a semiannual progress report including
      • attendance records and
      • individualized documentation of your child’s academic progress in the required subjects.

Of the three options, this option is by far the most burdensome and restrictive. Therefore, we recommend that South Carolina families either enroll with SCAIHS or any 50-Member association instead.

1. Obtain approval from the district board of trustees.

Contact the board of trustees of your local public school district for information about their homeschool application process, and submit an application. The board “shall approve” your application (it has no discretion) if you include in your application assurance that you have completed or will complete the steps listed below.

If your application is rejected: You may appeal decisions made by the board of trustees to the State Board of Education within 10 days. An appeal from the state board decision to the family court must be done within 30 days.

2. Meet the minimum teaching requirements.

In order to homeschool under this option, you must have:

1. at least a high school diploma or GED (the basic skills exam was struck down by the South Carolina Supreme Court)
2. or earned a baccalaureate degree.

3. Teach your child for at least 180 days per school year.

A school day is at least 4.5 hours, not counting lunch or recesses.

4. Teach the required subjects.

The required subjects are reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and, in grades 7–12, composition and literature.

5. Maintain records.

As evidence of regular instruction, you must maintain the following records for inspection upon reasonable notice by a representative of the school district:

1. A plan book, diary, or other written record indicating subjects taught and activities in which you and your child participate.
2. A portfolio of samples of your child’s work.
3. A record of your child’s academic progress assessments.

6. Submit a semiannual progress report.

You must submit a semiannual progress report including attendance records and assessments of your child’s progress in each of the required subjects to your school district.

7. Ensure your student has access to library facilities.

8. Test your child annually.

Make sure your child participates in the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment Program. The tests must be administered by a certified school district employee. For more resources and information related to testing and evaluation, click here.

If your student does not perform well enough on the test to meet the public school standard for advancing to the next grade, the school district will decide if your child should be put in a public school, receive handicapped services, or have instruction support for homeschooling at your expense.