The State of South Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law requires parents to enroll their children who are age 5 (before September 1) in kindergarten or to sign a waiver with their local public school. Enrollment in a homeschool accountability group also meets this requirement. This same law also requires that all children from the age of 6 (on or before September 1) until age 17 be enrolled in school or a homeschool accountability association.
If your child is five years of age before September 1 (South Carolina’s mandated age for kindergarten) of the current school year, you will need to:
- Enroll him/her in kindergarten – You can complete the SCAIHS membership application and pay the reduced kindergarten enrollment fee. If another child in your family is enrolled with SCAIHS, the K5 child is free. SCAIHS does not require course information or reporting for K5 students.
OR
- Sign a waiver with your local public school if you are not registering your child in your local school or registering them as a homeschool student.
If your child is five years of age on or after September 1:
- You do NOT need to enroll him/her as a homeschool student or sign a waiver with your local public school. However, if you believe your child is ready for K5 instruction, you have the freedom to teach your child without formal enrollment.
If your child is six years of age on or before September 1 (South Carolina’s mandated age for first grade) of the current school year, you may:
- Enroll the child as grade 1.
- Hold the child back in kindergarten, enrolling them with the grade level as K6, showing that they are 6 years of age but not yet ready to do grade 1 work.
When a student enrolls as a K6 or grade 1 student, you will pay the full SCAIHS Membership Fee as well as submit course information and reports. Because the child has reached compulsory attendance age, documentation of educational progress is necessary.
If your child is six years of age after September 1 of the current school year, you have options for enrollment:
- Enroll the child in kindergarten (K5) – With this option, you could work either at a K5 level or at a first grade level. By doing this, you would only pay the kindergarten fee. Since the child is not yet 6 and therefore not yet compulsory attendance age, SCAIHS would not require the accountability of progress reports. If you are using first grade work, we recommend that you keep a lesson plan book or diary as well as a portfolio.
- Enroll as a first grader – This option requires that you pay the full membership fee and submit reports.
If your child is five years of age on or after September 1, you do not need to enroll him/her or sign a waiver (ex. for school year 2021-2022 student has DOB 9-2-2016). If you believe your child is ready for K5 instruction, you have the freedom to teach your child without formal enrollment.