South Carolina Homeschool Requirements

Under SC Code § 59-65-40 (Option 1), parents must apply to the district board of trustees, which provides an application process detailing the program, texts and materials, evaluation methods, and place of instruction; parents must be notified of and may be heard at the board meeting. Under § 59-65-45 (Option 2), approval is through a state-approved independent home school association such as SCAIHS. Under § 59-65-47 (Option 3), membership in a qualifying home school association (50+ members, reviewed annually by SCDE) suffices and the association must report enrollment to school districts by January 30 each year. If denied under Option 1, parents may appeal within 10 days to the State Board of Education, and then within 30 days to family court.

SC Code § 59-65-40(A)(3) specifies: 'the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature.' The same subject requirements are mirrored in § 59-65-47 for Option 3 associations. The word 'includes but is not limited to' allows parents to teach additional subjects. Access to library facilities is also required under Option 1 (§ 59-65-40(A)(5)).

SC Code § 59-65-40(A)(2) states: 'the instructional day is at least four and one-half hours, excluding lunch and recesses, and the instructional year is at least one hundred eighty days.' This requirement applies under Option 1 (district approval). For Option 3 under § 59-65-47, the association's standards must require at least 180 instructional days. The 4.5-hour daily minimum is among the more prescriptive requirements in the state's homeschool law.

SC Code § 59-65-40(A)(6) requires Option 1 students to 'participate in the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment Program approved by the State Board of Education for their appropriate grade level.' Tests must be administered by a certified school district employee; at the parent's option, the test may be administered at the student's home, but the parent pays the administrator. If a student scores below promotion standards for one year, the district board decides on instructional placement, special services, or continued home schooling with an instructional support system at parental expense (§ 59-65-40(D)). Option 3 associations are reviewed annually by SCDE for compliance but do not require participation in statewide testing.

SC Code § 59-65-40(A)(4) specifies three required record types: (a) a plan book, diary, or other written record indicating subjects taught and activities; (b) a portfolio of samples of the student's academic work; and (c) a record of evaluations of the student's academic progress. A semiannual progress report including attendance records and individualized assessments of the student's academic progress in each basic instructional area must be submitted to the school district. Records are subject to inspection by a district representative upon reasonable notice. The same recordkeeping requirements apply under Options 2 and 3 through the respective association's standards (§ 59-65-47).

SC Code § 59-65-40(A)(1) requires that the parent '(a) holds at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate and … attains a passing score on the basic skills examination developed pursuant to Section 59-26-20(b)(1) after the State Department of Education has validated the test for use with home schooling parents; or (b) has earned a baccalaureate degree.' Under Option 3 (§ 59-65-47), the association must require at minimum that 'a parent must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general educational development (GED) certificate.' The basic skills exam requirement under Option 1 has been validated; parents who hold a baccalaureate degree are exempt from the exam.

SC Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45, and 59-65-47 do not list immunization as a requirement for home school approval. South Carolina's school immunization requirement (SC Code § 44-29-180) applies to students attending public and private schools. Because home school students are not enrolled in a public or qualifying private school, the mandatory immunization schedule does not apply as a legal condition of home schooling. Families who choose to pursue public school re-enrollment would be subject to immunization requirements at that time.

SC Code § 59-65-40(D) provides that if a home school student scores below promotion standards for one year, the district board decides whether to require appropriate instructional placement in public school, special services as a handicapped student, or home schooling with an instructional support system at parental expense. VirtualSC notes that students with IEPs may enroll in virtual courses if the IEP team determines online delivery is appropriate; Speech, OT, and PT services are provided by the home district or home school association. The SCDE does not accredit or monitor individual home school associations.

SC Code § 59-65-40(B) requires an application process before the district board approves home schooling. A parent denied approval may appeal within 10 days to the State Board of Education, and then within 30 days to family court (§ 59-65-40(E)). The SCDE FAQ states: 'If home-schooled students return to a South Carolina public school district, the district has the right to place the students in classes/grade levels which the district/school deems is instructionally appropriate … (usually based on some type of test results that the district determines).' Home school credits do not automatically transfer to public or private schools.

SC Code § 59-65-10(A) states: 'A parent or guardian shall require his child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State … from the school year in which the child is five years of age before September first until the child attains his seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school.' A parent may elect for a child not yet six years old on September 1 to skip kindergarten via a written election with the district governing body. The home school statute at § 59-65-40 applies to satisfy the compulsory attendance requirement for children within this age range.

The SCDE FAQ explicitly states: 'No, only accredited public South Carolina high schools issue a South Carolina high school diploma.' and 'There is no "official" home school diploma. Home school "diplomas" are issued by the parent or in some cases, the home school association.' Credits earned through home school programs show on a transcript maintained by the parent or association but are not automatically transferred. Home school students may earn credit through the South Carolina Virtual School Program if they meet its guidelines.

SC Code § 59-63-100 (as amended by Act 203 and pending further amendment under H.3802 in 2025–26) allows home school students enrolled under §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47 to participate in interscholastic activities on the same basis as full-time students, provided: the student meets eligibility requirements (except class/enrollment requirements); resides within attendance boundaries; and notifies the superintendent in writing before the season begins. The SCHSL (South Carolina High School League) requires a Home School Form submitted to the District Office before the start of the season. Space availability may be considered under proposed H.3802 policy guidelines.