About Us

In 1961, the State of North Carolina initially established a state government agency to provide oversight to non-public schools throughout North Carolina. 

From 1961 until 1979, it operated within the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Education.  In 1979, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation which set in place a delicate regulatory balance between oversight and intrusiveness in non-public school issues. It also transferred jurisdiction of such schools from the State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to the Office of the Governor.  The legislation required the Governor to designate a duly authorized representative of the State of North Carolina to receive notices of intent to operate and to terminate a private elementary/secondary school in North Carolina and to annually inspect certain records of those schools. 

Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. subsequently assigned this responsibility to a newly created division within the Office of the Governor which is today known as the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education.  It then operated as a monitoring agency under the direct jurisdiction of the Office of the Governor from October, 1979 until July 1, 1998 when Governor Hunt transferred it to the North Carolina Department of Administration.  For additional information, read "Why is DNPE a part of DOA instead of DPI." Historical information about non-public schools is accessible from our North Carolina's Non-Public Education Heritage section.

DNPE is the only legislatively authorized North Carolina state government office giving oversight to private elementary/secondary schools in North Carolina.  It derives its authority from Chapter 115C, Article 39 of the North Carolina General Statutes.  This article sets forth a list of requirements to be met by such schools.  DNPE has the legal responsibility to verify that all private elementary/secondary schools are meeting those requirements by periodically inspecting certain school records.

• DNPE maintains current statistical data on each private elementary/secondary school including the school's name, address, telephone number, chief administrator, range of grades or ages taught, number of students enrolled, number of professional staff, type of school, student body composition, etc.  This data is published each June as the North Carolina Directory of Non-Public Schools.
• DNPE oversees the non-public school student driving eligibility certificate program.
• DNPE serves as the state government liaison office between state government, the private elementary/secondary school community and the general public.

• Conventional private elementary/secondary schools  (Those teaching other people's children)
• Home schools  (Parent/guardian teaching own children)