PencilGoSouth Carolina has three legal ways to homeschool, and each one asks you to keep a plan book and a portfolio. Here is what the code says and how PencilGo fills in each piece.
Last checked October 30, 2026 · Templates, not legal advice
| Topic | What South Carolina asks | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Three routes | Instruction approved by your district board of trustees (§ 59-65-40); the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (§ 59-65-45); or an association for home schools with at least 50 members (§ 59-65-47). Members of an association are exempt from the board-approval route. | S.C. Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45 and 59-65-47 (SC Legislature) |
| Approval | On the board route the district board approves a program that meets the listed standards. If it is denied you may appeal to the State Board of Education within ten days. | S.C. Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45 and 59-65-47 (SC Legislature) |
| Days and hours | A school year of at least 180 days. On the board route the instructional day is at least four and a half hours, not counting lunch and recess. | S.C. Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45 and 59-65-47 (SC Legislature) |
| Parent | A high school diploma or GED, or a bachelor's degree. | S.C. Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45 and 59-65-47 (SC Legislature) |
| Records | A plan book, diary or other written record of subjects and activities; a portfolio of student work samples; a record of academic evaluations; and a semiannual progress report with attendance records and individual assessments. Records are shown for inspection on reasonable notice. | S.C. Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45 and 59-65-47 (SC Legislature) |
| Testing | On the board route, the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment, given by a certified district employee. The association routes name their own standards. | S.C. Code §§ 59-65-40, 59-65-45 and 59-65-47 (SC Legislature) |
Free sheets to keep them on: the South Carolina attendance sheet, the weekly log sheet and the hours log. The attendance tracker page lets you set the start month and the number of children.
Records are produced for inspection on reasonable notice. On the board route your district also receives the semiannual progress report.
If you homeschool through an association, the association sets standards within the code and reports the number and grade levels of its children to districts each January. Ask yours which records it wants.
Dates come from the sources below. Confirm them with your district before you rely on them.
Rules change. Spot a change? Write to [email protected]. Templates, not legal advice.
Using South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund too? See the South Carolina ESA page. Homeschooling and ESA funding are separate things with separate rules.
A plan book, diary or other written record of subjects and activities, a portfolio of student work samples, a record of academic evaluations, and a semiannual progress report with attendance records and individual assessments.
At least 180 days a year. On the board-approved route the instructional day is at least four and a half hours, not counting lunch and recess.
No. The code gives three routes, and joining an association is one of them. Members of a qualifying association are exempt from the board-approval route. Read the sections or ask your district.
On the board-approved route, yes: the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment, given by a certified district employee. The association routes set their own standards.
It prepares the plan-book lines, the work samples and the attendance tally from your scans and weekly log. You keep them and write your progress reports. PencilGo does not tell you that you meet South Carolina law and does not file anything.
Coming as we finish reading the law: Missouri, Utah, New Hampshire, Alabama, California, Delaware and more.
Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo adds the date, subject and about how long it took. Free, about five minutes a day, and no screen time for your child.
Templates, not legal advice. Check what your state asks for. Last checked October 30, 2026. Spotted a change? Write to [email protected].