State laws change from time to time and though we try to keep the laws up-to-date at all times please check with the department of education for any changes that may have occurred.
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It’s practical, safe and you can do it from home: homeschooling is an increasingly popular educational alternative among many parents who wish to be more directly involved in their children’s education.
If you plan to do so yourself, you’re about to join a great community of fellow homeschoolers, always ready to offer advice and resources. We’ll show you how to start homeschooling in Nebraska without too much effort. We’ll go through some of the main educational opportunities offered by the Cornhusker State, give you an introduction to the Nebraska home school requirements and point you to some great online homeschooling sites and communities. Use the infographic and video below to create a homeschool that thrives.
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The Cornhusker State
Though best known for its vast prairies and its agricultural production, Nebraska also offers some interesting cultural and natural points of interest that you and your children could make use of.
An important location on the initial American trading routes, Nebraska has a couple of museums dedicated to this activity – the Museum of the Fur Trade, in Chadron, and the Pioneer Village, in Minden. Apart from that, your children will also love exploring the amazing Lincoln and Omaha Children’s Museums. Art is also well represented, with museums such as the Joslyn Art Museum and the Museum of Nebraska Art. Other museums include the University of Nebraska State Museum, the Museum of American Speed, and the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum.
If your children love geography and biology, take them hiking through the Smith Falls State Park, get the up close to the wild animals of the Henry Doorly Zoo, or explore the absolutely wonderful Sunken Gardens of Lincoln. You can even go on a safari in the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari!
Nebraska Homeschool Laws
If you want to homeschool in Nebraska, you’ll have to operate as a private school. You’d normally need accreditation for your private school, but you can avoid this process in two ways: the first option is to claim that the accreditation process is against your schooling decisions and preferences; the second is to claim that it goes against your strongly-held religious beliefs. You can read more about the exact regulations on accreditation exemption here.
Regardless of your exemption choice, you’ll have to notify the local school district of your intention to homeschool at least 30 days before the beginning of the school year, and by July 15 for each subsequent year. Both parents have to file this notice, and they’ll have to offer a detailed description of the school calendar, as well as copies of your children’s birth certificates. Again, you’ll find more information about this in the link above.
There aren’t any compulsory qualifications, bookkeeping and assessment, but you will have to provide your children with at least 1,032 (elementary) or 1,080 (high school) hours of instruction per year. You’ll also have to make sure you offer education in each of the following subjects: mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and health.
Your children will also have access to all the extracurricular activities offered by the local public school, and you will be able to enroll them part-time. They’ll also benefit from any necessary special needs services the public school provides.
Homeschool Friendliness Grade
We’ve given Nebraska a B for homeschool friendliness, and that’s just because they don’t have a homeschool statute. The exemption process may be a bit demanding, and you’ll have to wait about a month before you know if your request has been approved. Other than that, the homeschool laws in Nebraska aren’t too demanding, and you should be able to educate your children without too much state interference.
Conclusion
You might have a bit of paper work to do if you’re going to homeschool in Nebraska, but once you get the state approval, you won’t have to worry too much about any significant paper work. You’ll have a great time exploring the many attractions of the Cornhusk State while simultaneously education your children, and you’ll soon find those family bonds growing stronger than ever. The active and diverse Nebraska homeschooling community will always help you with advice and materials, and you can also contact us for any additional details.
Resources
http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ne/ - the official HSLDA website provides lots of news and legal information related to homeschooling in Nebraska
http://highschool.nebraska.edu/about-unhs/who-we-serve/home-school - if your children is high-school age, you may want to check out this website