South Carolina homeschool requirements and record-keeping, 2026-27
South Carolina has three legal routes for home schooling. You can be approved by your district board of trustees, join the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS), or join another home school association with at least 50 members. All three require at least 180 days of instruction a year in reading, writing, math, science and social studies, plus composition and literature in grades 7-12. The district route also requires 4.5-hour days, a plan book, a portfolio, evaluations, semiannual progress reports with attendance, and participation in statewide testing. Under the association routes, the association's standards apply instead.
What you file and when
- Application to the district board: program description, texts and materials, evaluation methods, place of instruction; plus a signed hold-harmless agreement
To: District board of trustees. When: Before beginning (Option 1) - Semiannual progress report with attendance and assessments
To: School district. When: Twice a year (Option 1) - The association reports the number and grade level of its members' children
To: School districts. When: By January 30 each year (handled by the association)
What you keep
- Plan book, diary, or other written record of subjects taught and activities
- Portfolio of samples of the student's academic work
- Record of evaluations (Option 1)
- Semiannual progress report with attendance records and individualized assessments in each basic subject (Options 1 and 3)
Portfolio. Samples of the student's academic work
How long to keep it. The sources we read set no retention period. Keeping a record for at least a few years is a sensible habit.
Testing. Option 1: annual statewide testing for the grade level, given by a certified district employee. Options 2 and 3: as the association requires.
Hours, days and subjects
- 180 days a year
- 4.5 hours a day
- Compulsory attendance ages: 5 to 17
Option 1 only: at least 4.5 hours a day excluding lunch and recess (810 hours over 180 days).
From the school year a child is 5 before September 1 until the 17th birthday; kindergarten can be waived in writing for a child not yet 6 on September 1.
Subjects. Reading; Writing; Mathematics; Science; Social studies; Composition (grades 7-12); Literature (grades 7-12).
Work out your hours for South Carolina with the free calculator.
Things people miss
- Pick your option first; the paperwork and the 4.5-hour day apply only to Option 1.
- Under Option 3, the plan book, portfolio and semiannual progress report are required by statute, but they go to your association rather than the district.
- Option 1 parents need a high school diploma or GED (plus the basic skills exam once validated) or a bachelor's degree.
- Option 1 approval decisions can be appealed to the State Board within 10 days.
Official sources
- S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 65 (§§ 59-65-10, -40, -45, -47) (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 59-65-10, 59-65-40, 59-65-45, 59-65-47)
Verified checked on 2026-10-18
How Schoolkeeper helps
A twenty-second daily log, and then an export in the shape South Carolina asks for:
- An attendance record showing the days you taught, counted against 180.
- Minutes by subject, totalled for the year.
- A portfolio of work samples, photos and what they read, in date order.
Questions parents ask
What do I have to file to homeschool in South Carolina?
Application to the district board: program description, texts and materials, evaluation methods, place of instruction; plus a signed hold-harmless agreement, to District board of trustees. When: Before beginning (Option 1). Semiannual progress report with attendance and assessments, to School district. When: Twice a year (Option 1). The association reports the number and grade level of its members' children, to School districts. When: By January 30 each year (handled by the association).
What records do I keep for homeschooling in South Carolina?
Plan book, diary, or other written record of subjects taught and activities; Portfolio of samples of the student's academic work; Record of evaluations (Option 1); Semiannual progress report with attendance records and individualized assessments in each basic subject (Options 1 and 3).
How many hours or days does South Carolina ask for?
South Carolina asks for 180 days a year; 4.5 hours a day.
Does South Carolina require testing or an evaluation?
Option 1: annual statewide testing for the grade level, given by a certified district employee. Options 2 and 3: as the association requires.
This is a plain-English summary with its sources, not legal advice. Tell us if this is wrong.