Possibly moving to SC

[Keith]

Hello all!

My wife and I are thinking about relocating to South Carolina, possibly the Oconee/Pickens County area and becoming "third option" homeschoolers. We live in Florida and do not have the 180 day requirement that South Carolina has.

I was wondering how that is enforced as well as what other "oversight" the state may provide homeschool families.

We are new members to this forum, so any tips and information would be helpful. Anyone with information about the Oconee/Pickens County area would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance!

Keith

[MamaSweetie2]

Hi Keith and Welcome!

Basically, you join a third option accountability group. Each third option group may be a little different, but this is what we do for paperwork. They send you a few forms (nothing scary). You give your child a mid year progress report (grades for each subject) then a year end progress report. You sign a paper stating that you were in compliance with the statues of SC Homeschool law, taught the required subjects, kept a lesson plan book or journal and a portfolio of children's work and that you completed 180 days. Some accountability groups require an Attendance log showing the 180 days checked off, some don't. I just keep one for my own records in the back of my lesson plan book. At the end of the year, you mail in to your 3rd option group's office: your Progress Report, Compliance Form and if required an Attendance Log by your groups deadline (usually July 31st) and you are done! You keep the portfolio, you do not mail that in. It is pretty simple.

Hope that helps

Christine

[Dianna]

Hello all!

My wife and I are thinking about relocating to South Carolina, possibly the Oconee/Pickens County area and becoming "third option" homeschoolers. We live in Florida and do not have the 180 day requirement that South Carolina has.

I was wondering how that is enforced as well as what other "oversight" the state may provide homeschool families.

We are new members to this forum, so any tips and information would be helpful. Anyone with information about the Oconee/Pickens County area would be appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance!

Keith

Keith, we're a little different than Florida (from what I understand, FL requires more documentation and oversight). Oversight is through the association, and most respect parental right to privacy of their records. Some associations require more documentation than others, so you'll need to ask questions to the various associations to find out what they require. A list of good associations is available at http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/aboutus.htm

Warmly,
Dianna

[Dianna]

Hi Keith and Welcome!

Basically, you join a third option accountability group. Each third option group may be a little different, but this is what we do for paperwork. They send you a few forms (nothing scary). You give your child a mid year progress report (grades for each subject) then a year end progress report. You sign a paper stating that you were in compliance with the statues of SC Homeschool law, taught the required subjects, kept a lesson plan book or journal and a portfolio of children's work and that you completed 180 days. Some accountability groups require an Attendance log showing the 180 days checked off, some don't. I just keep one for my own records in the back of my lesson plan book. At the end of the year, you mail in to your 3rd option group's office: your Progress Report, Compliance Form and if required an Attendance Log by your groups deadline (usually July 31st) and you are done! You keep the portfolio, you do not mail that in. It is pretty simple.

Hope that helps

Christine

Christine, you're right that they're all different. Some associations don't require that we turn in an end-of-year progress report or attendance reports, just the compliance form. If there's any question about whether or not a family is compliant, they will go in and do a record's check.

Dianna

[Keith]

Keith, we're a little different than Florida (from what I understand, FL requires more documentation and oversight). Oversight is through the association, and most respect parental right to privacy of their records. Some associations require more documentation than others, so you'll need to ask questions to the various associations to find out what they require. A list of good associations is available at http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/aboutus.htm

Warmly,
Dianna

Thanks Diana. We are interested in the upstate area...Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Cherokee County areas, so I guess the Palmetto State Association of Homeschools is the one. Any feedback about this group?

Keith

[Keith]

Christine,

Thanks for responding. Florida is a little more relaxed. We do not submit a mid-year report or fax any documents to anyone. We declair our intent to homeschool each year with the superintendant of public schools and maintain our records in case we are audited. The school district here has yet to audit anyone that I know of, but that is not to say it wont happen, or does not happen in other counties in Florida. I appreciate you taking the time!

Keith

[Dianna]

Thanks Diana. We are interested in the upstate area...Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Cherokee County areas, so I guess the Palmetto State Association of Homeschools is the one. Any feedback about this group?

Keith

Yes, it's a great association run by a wonderful woman who's been homeschooling for quite a while. You wouldn't be disappointed. :smile2:

Dianna

[Dianna]

Christine,

Thanks for responding. Florida is a little more relaxed. We do not submit a mid-year report or fax any documents to anyone. We declair our intent to homeschool each year with the superintendant of public schools and maintain our records in case we are audited. The school district here has yet to audit anyone that I know of, but that is not to say it wont happen, or does not happen in other counties in Florida. I appreciate you taking the time!

Keith

Keith, the mid-year checklist isn't a report... it's just a document that some associations use to keep up with their members. You wouldn't believe how many homeschoolers decide to return to school mid-year or move out of state and never contact their association. This serves to keep both the association and the parents on track. Parents just check off that they're in compliance, mail it in, and that's it. We also don't fax anything to anyone (although some associations may require more documentation than others). Mine doesn't require any documentation other than the mid-year and end-of-year checklist. Parents maintain all records and they're only requested if there's a problem (a call from DSS, or whatever). It truly sounds worse than it is.

Dianna

[Keith]

Diana,

Thanks again for your insight. We'll see what the future brings!

Keith :smile2: