Frequently Asked Home School Questions - DNPE School Visits/Meetings

Does DNPE do on site home school visits?

Yes.  Since 1985, the North Carolina General Statutes governing home schools has required that certain home school records ". . . shall be made available . . . at the principal office of such school, at all reasonable times, for annual inspection by a duly authorized representative of the State of North Carolina."  The purpose of the visit is to determine that the home school record keeping statutory requirements are being met on a continuing basis.  The representative will always be a member of the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education staff (a state government agency within the North Carolina Department of Administration).

Should I expect advance notification?

Yes.  You will always receive at least five days prior notice via the United States Postal Service or by telephone.

What are Record Review Meetings?

For several years, the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) has utilized a program called Record Review Meetings to monitor home school record-keeping compliance to State statutes.  The program involves the following:

1. Any home school administrator who (since filing with DNPE an initial Notice of Intent to Operate a School) has not yet met with a DNPE staff member on at least one occasion to evaluate the school's legal status is eligible to be invited to voluntarily participate in this program (in lieu of an on site visit to the school). Only schools which are now in their second consecutive school year of being listed with DNPE are randomly selected for the invitation.
2. DNPE establishes a temporary office space for a day or more in major cities throughout the State. Record Review Meetings are scheduled statewide each school year for two weeks within each school month between November 1 and May 31.
3. Each qualifying family living within a one-hour drive of the meeting location near them receives by mail (about 20 days in advance) an invitation to participate.  It gives the location; directions to it; dates and items to be brought to the private meeting with the DNPE staff member; and, the name of the DNPE staff member conducting the meeting.
4. The invitation asks the family to call the DNPE Raleigh office within 10 days to select a specific convenient appointment date and time.
5. At the selected date and time, the parent and the DNPE official meet for about 25 minutes to review the legal records required by each home school.

The Record Review Meetings concept is a more efficient method of meeting with individual home school families than doing home visits, thanks to the high degree of voluntary participation of home schoolers in past years.

Newer home school families are especially encouraged to plan to participate in the Record Review Meetings Program when they are eligible to do so.  Also, see Historical Perspective and Purpose.

Click here to view the meeting dates and locations schedule.