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Homeschooling in South Carolina

 

South Carolina offers three legal options for homeschooling in the state. Families are required to fulfill the following requirements:

  • Parents or guardians must handle the majority of the guidance for the curriculum instruction
  • Parents or guardians must have a minimum of a GED as educational credentials
  • Curriculum should include math, science, history and reading and writing (1st-6th) or literature and composotion (7th-12th) 
  • Homeschool instruction should occur at least 180 days of the year

**Please note that online/virtual school options such as K12 and Connections Academy are not considered homeschooling.**

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

Option 1: Homeschooling through the School District
Families choosing to homeschool through option one agree to have their local school district approve their choice of curriculum.  Other requirements relating to this option include: yearly standardized testing, homeschool record keeping must include a portfolio of subjects and activities covered throughout the year, samples of academic work, and a record of evaluations of the student’s progress. 

Option 2: Homeschooling through the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS)
The second legal option for home instruction is the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. SCAIHS is a faith-based organization that oversees accountability of and keeps records for all homeschoolers who enroll with it. SCAIHS requires annual testing for children in grades 3-11 and also expects parents to keep attendance records and progress reports for each student. 

Option 3: Homeschooling through a South Carolina Accountability Association
The third option for legally homeschooling in South Carolina is to do so through an Accountabilty Association.  Although it still requires families to follow the four main homeschool regulations and to keep adequate records, the curriculum choice and style of instruction are completely up to the parents. For a list of state approved Accountability Associations click here.

For furthur information and instructions regarding each option look on the Homeschool Legal Defense website here:   HSLDA