Planning on moving to South Carolina

[WeloveJesus]

Hello,

My name is Jennifer and we have 4 children ages 10,9,3,15months. We are live in Wisconsin right now but plan on relocating to South Carolina. We are going to begin to homeschool our two oldest next year through C.L.A.S.S Curriculum. I am pretty lost as far as the homeschooling laws. It is pretty simple up here each child has to have 875 hours of instruction and that is it. Maybe I am reading all of the information incorrectly but I feel a bit overwhelmed. Homeschooling is going to be a Big part of our lives so I just want to understand all of it before we move. Is it easy to homeschool in SC? Or does the state step in alot? Looking for as much feedback as you can give me.:smile2:

Thanks so much and God Bless,

Jennifer

[martylamarche]

Jennifer:

I find SC is a very easy state to hschool in. We lived in IA before moving here and it had more rules. I have found most people very welcoming to homeschooling.

To homeschool in SC, you have 3 options: thru school district, SCHAIIS, or a third option association. I suggest the association route. We belong to Grace Homeschool Assoc. They are not intrusive and don't ask for more than the law allows. I believe that Dianna has links to several associations and to the legal requirements here on her site.

In SC, you have to homeschool for at least 180 days. There is no minimum hr requirement per day or yr. Also, there are no testing requirements for most associations. SCHAIIS and school districts will require them.

Where are you thinking of moving to in SC? There are some really good support grps in Cola, Greenville, Charleston, Florence, etc.

I hope this helps alleviate some of your fears.

Good Luck,
Marty

[duboisa]

jennifer, what part of south carolina are you moving too.. I am in the central midlands, Elgin, and it is really easy here. No they dont interfere much.. I havent had any problems at all.. You just have to do 180 days and study reading , math, social studies and science, add literature and composition at 7th grade. dianna can give much better answers than me, but I dont htink it is a biggie at all here.

[WeloveJesus]

Well, I guess I will have to find another way of getting my questions answered.

[Dianna]

Well, I guess I will have to find another way of getting my questions answered.

Welcome to our forums! :smile2: We love getting new people here, and have kind and wonderful members who love helping people. However, we also homeschool and have outside commitments that may keep us from visiting the message boards every day. You posted on a weekend, when many of us are spending time with our families out of the house, away from our computers. Please be patient and give us a few days to answer. As you can see, two people have already answered you. :smile2: Thanks for your understanding! :wave:

Dianna

[Dianna]

I believe that Dianna has links to several associations and to the legal requirements here on her site.

Here is the link: http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/aboutus.htm

[Dianna]

You just have to do 180 days and study reading , math, social studies and science, add literature and composition at 7th grade.

Angie left out Writing. It's reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. In 7th grade and up, reading becomes literature, and writing becomes composition.

[duboisa]

See.. that is why Dianna is the GIRL... i can never remember everything.. I was listing composition as writing for seventh grade and up, but forgot it for the younger kids..

I think you will like it here, everybody is very helpful.. When i started homeschooling last year, these people kept me sane!!!!

[WeloveJesus]

I apologize. It was just that I have been to message boards before where you ask a question and it never gets answered. Did not mean anything by it. Also I am so sorry I posted the question and then got so busy with work and the kids.This is my busiest time of year with work. Some good friends of ours recently moved from here to the Boiling springs area which I guess is by Greenville. We are going to take a trip out there to SC this next spring/summer to look at things. We are all really excited and scared at the same time. I am originally from Colorado and my husband from Los Angeles. We do not live in a big city now and I do not think we want to. We like living out a bit away from everything. But neither one of us has ever lived in the south so I hope that we will be accepted easily. I have read alot of the links you have on here. This really is a great resource. I think I was feeling overwhelmed a bit by the terminology of homeschooling in SC. But it sounds like you all really find it easy and I like easy. Let me ask you all this since we will be homeschooling and all what is the best area of the state of sc to go to? I would really like our kids to be able to get involved in sports and activities. Our sons love baseball and football and our daughter loves arts and crafts and gymnastics. Would you say alot of people homeschool in SC?Also, I work from home so just wondering will I have any problems with the state for working from home and homeschooling at the same time?Thank you ladies so much for your help. I really do appreciate it.

Jennifer:smile2:

[duboisa]

I am in Elgin which is right outside of columbia, it is rural area, but they have alot as far as rec goes, soccer, football etc. They cant play for the public school teams though, that isnt allowed in sc, but being so close to columbia there is always alot to do.

[Dianna]

Let me ask you all this since we will be homeschooling and all what is the best area of the state of sc to go to? I would really like our kids to be able to get involved in sports and activities. Our sons love baseball and football and our daughter loves arts and crafts and gymnastics. Would you say alot of people homeschool in SC?Also, I work from home so just wondering will I have any problems with the state for working from home and homeschooling at the same time?

Jennifer, most areas of the state are fine. Sometimes people from the Charleston area report problems with their local districts, but I've heard from more there that have never had a problem. Homeschoolers here (as well as private schoolers) don't have equal access to public school sports or extra-curricular activities, so you'll have to plan around that. I've heard estimates that we have between 10,000 and 15,000 homeschoolers in SC, but I don't think that's been confirmed... just an estimate. You won't have any problems working from home and homeschooling - there's nothing in the law that prevents that. :smile2:

Dianna

[roodscreen]

Just to be picky--Boiling Springs is closer to Spartanburg but not too far from Greenville. My cousins grew up in Inman (another town near Spartanburg) and went to Boiling Springs High School) I think if you are looking for small town living close to larger cities you will enjoy Boiling Springs. Welcome to SC!

Anne Marie