Frequently Asked Conventional Non-Public School Questions - New School Administrators

What do new North Carolina conventional non-public school administrators need to know?

DNPE suggests that you familiarize yourself with each of the following:

1. The current legal requirements for North Carolina conventional non-public schools.
2. Early each September, watch for an annual mailing from DNPE which will include a Non-Public Annual Report form.  Complete and return it each year during October.  When completing the enrollment by grade level section of that form, please be sure to give the enrollment information as of the first school day in the month of October.
3. Fire and Sanitation Inspections:  These are required each school year.  If it has been longer than that since your last school facility inspections, immediately call or write your county health department and your city or county fire marshal to request the inspections.
4. Student Fire Drills:  Conduct them at least monthly.
5. Nationally Standardized Tests:  Required by state law to be administered each year to all students enrolled in grades 3, 6, 9 and 11.  Note that this requirement is different from that of North Carolina's public schools.
6. Superintendent Notification:  Your local public school superintendent would greatly appreciate notification whenever a student withdraws from your school.  This voluntary action on your part will help a great deal in enforcing the compulsory attendance law for students in your local area.
7. Home Schools:  Under North Carolina law, home schools enrolling students of compulsory attendance age must be registered with this office.  Home schooled students must receive their academic instruction from their parent, guardian or a member of the household in which the child resides.  However, conventional private schools may provide these parents only certain types of support services.
8. Click on School Termination and read this very important information.
9. Expect a visit from DNPE at least every other school year.
10. Note the DNPE procedure for handling complaints & concerns about schools.
11. DEC Requirements:  If your school enrolls students aged 15 - 17, please be sure to read carefully the North Carolina non-public school student Driving Eligibility Certificate Requirements.  Please be certain to always require the student to first take the certificate home to have the parent/guardian sign it; and then, return it to your school for you to then place your signature, your school's raised imprinted seal and enter the date on it.  It is then ready at that point to be given to the student to take to the local North Carolina DMV center.
12. Familiarize yourself with these Other North Carolina Statutes of Interest to non-public schools.
13. New North Carolina General Assembly legislation:
14. Check out the latest and past editions of the North Carolina Directory of Non-Public Schools.
15. Read the "Selecting A Non-Public School" article for North Carolina parents on the front page of the DNPE web site.
16. Explore the Related Links section of our web site.
17. Visit the What's New section of our web site which is updated by the fifth day of each new calendar month with the very latest news of interest to North Carolina non-public schools.  We encourage you to check it monthly.
18. Review the Contact Us section of the web site.
19. Click on Telephone Contacts in North Carolina State Government Agencies for this helpful information.
20. President's Education Awards Program:  These certificates are available free from the US Department of Education.  The award may be given to students graduating from elementary, middle and senior high schools (public or private).  Students who have maintained an A- grade average and score in the 85th percentile on a nationally standardized achievement test are eligible.
    Contact:
           President's Education Recognition Programs
           US Department of Education
           400 Maryland Avenue SW
           Washington, DC 20202-3521
           Call toll free:  (877) 897-4784
           Fax to: (703) 518-6295
           Click on President's Education Awards Programs.