Procedure for Handling Complaints
& Concerns
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1. Complaints are
not accepted or acted upon during the months of June, July and August since the
compulsory attendance and the non-public school laws of
2. All
complaints and concerns about home schools received by the NC Division of
Non-Public Education (DNPE) staff must be in writing; on the appropriate
prescribed DNPE Citizen Complaint Form; and, include:
a. Permission
from the complainant for a copy of the complaint or concern to be sent to the
school. If permission is not included on the proper written complaint form, the
complaint or concern will not be pursued any further. For
efficiency reasons, anonymous or oral complaints and concerns
are not accepted or acted upon.
b. Brief,
concise details which support the specific legal requirement of the North
Carolina Non-Public Education Statutes which has allegedly been violated.
c. Any other
pertinent information bearing on the legal requirement(s) cited on the Citizen Complaint Form, including names, dates, places,
circumstances, etc.
3. A copy of
the complaint or concern is forwarded by DNPE to the school requesting that the
school promptly consider and investigate the allegations and then respond
before a specific date (usually within 10 days). A Response to Complaint
Form is also included.
4. The school
forwards its completed Response to Complaint Form to
the NC Division of Non-Public Education staff, at which time it is reviewed by the
DNPE staff and one of the following occurs:
a. If it is
concluded that the allegations do not establish a violation of the home school
statutes (G.S. 115C-563-565), a letter is sent to the
complainant confirming this, along with a copy of the school’s response. A copy of this letter is also sent to the
school’s chief administrator.
b. If it
appears that a non-public education statute has been violated, the DNPE staff
shall conduct a further investigation to determine whether or not the school
has automatically terminated its legal status by failure, after a reasonable
amount of time, to meet all of the appropriate non-public education statutes
governing that type of non-public school.
If the school has indeed automatically terminated its legal status,
local compulsory attendance enforcement authorities will be notified who will
then begin legal proceedings against the parents of the students currently
enrolled in the school.
Citizen Complaint Section
NC Division of Non-Public
Education
1309