A Nebraska Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Nebraska.

Nebraska never uses the word homeschool - here, you operate an exempt school, free of state approval and accreditation by design. One annual filing with NDE by July 15. Five required subjects. No testing, ever. Here is how the Exempt School Program actually works, in plain language and without the noise.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from filing in July to teaching on your own terms.

№ 01
01

Understand the exempt school model.

Under Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601, your home program is legally a private school that elects not to meet state approval or accreditation requirements - for either religious reasons or reasons of educational freedom. That election is the whole legal architecture: the state steps back, and you take responsibility.

What the election means
  • Your program is a non-approved, non-accredited private school
  • You elect exemption for religious or non-religious reasons
  • NDE records the filing - it does not approve or inspect
  • Procedures live in NDE Rule 13
02

File with NDE by July 15.

Submit your paperwork to the Nebraska Department of Education - online through the exempt school portal or by mail to Lincoln - by July 15 for the coming school year. Starting mid-year? File at least 30 days before instruction begins. You'll renew the filing every year you continue.

Your filing includes
  • Form A - Statement of Election & Assurances, signed
  • Form B - Authorized Parent Representative Form
  • Certified birth certificate copy (first year only)
  • Mid-year starts: file 30 days ahead
03

Withdraw your child & choose curriculum.

If your child is enrolled in school, withdraw in writing once your exempt school filing is in, and keep dated copies. Then build your year around the five subjects in Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601(2) - Nebraska does not prescribe, approve, or review curriculum, so the materials and methods are entirely yours.

Useful starting points
  • NCHEA's getting-started guidance and events
  • Local co-ops, learning pods & enrichment days
  • Library programs & museum passes
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
04

Map your hours for the year.

Nebraska counts hours, not days: 1,032 hours per year for elementary programs and 1,080 hours for secondary. There's no required daily schedule - mornings, four-day weeks, field trips, and kitchen-table science all count, so long as the year's total holds.

Making the math work
  • 1,032 hrs is about 5.7 hrs across 180 days
  • 1,080 hrs is about 6 hrs across 180 days
  • Schedule however fits your family
  • Log hours weekly so year-end adds itself up
05

Keep simple records & renew each July.

Nothing gets submitted after your filing - no attendance reports, no test scores, no portfolios. Keep your filed forms, an hours log, and samples of work where you can find them, then mark July 15 on next summer's calendar. Renewal is the same short filing, once a year.

Keep on file
  • Filed Form A & Form B copies, with NDE acknowledgment
  • Hours log matched to the 1,032 / 1,080 standard
  • Sample work & course lists
  • Transcript for high schoolers
The Law · Nebraska

One road into homeschooling here - and it is a clear one

№ 02

Nebraska homeschools operate as exempt schools - private schools that elect not to meet accreditation or approval requirements under Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601 and NDE Rule 13. Families file once a year with the Nebraska Department of Education, not the local district, and the state neither approves curriculum nor tests students.

Option 01

The Exempt School Program

Nebraska's single legal route - one annual filing with the state, broad freedom at home, and no testing at any grade.

  • File Forms A & B with NDE by July 15 (or 30 days before a mid-year start)
  • Teach 5 subjects: language arts, math, science, social studies, health
  • Log 1,032 elementary or 1,080 secondary hours per year
  • No state testing, visits, or curriculum approval
  • Governed by Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601 & NDE Rule 13
Requirements · Curriculum

The five subjects Nebraska expects on your roster.

№ 03

Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601(2) names five areas of instruction - and stops there. The state does not prescribe curriculum, approve materials, or dictate methods, so how deep you go and what you use is entirely your call.

01

Language arts

Reading, writing, grammar, spelling & communication across the grades.

02

Mathematics

Numeracy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and applied math reasoning.

03

Science

Inquiry, observation, life sciences, physical sciences, earth & space.

04

Social studies

History, geography, government & community - local, American, and world.

05

Health

Wellness, nutrition, safety, and the habits of a healthy life.

Jul 15
Annual filing deadline

Exempt school paperwork is due to NDE by July 15 for the coming school year - or 30 days before instruction begins for mid-year starts.

1,080
Secondary hours / year

High school programs log 1,080 instructional hours; elementary programs log 1,032. No daily schedule is prescribed.

5
Required subjects

Language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health - with curriculum and methods left entirely to you.

0
Tests required

Nebraska requires no assessment of exempt school students - LB 1027 (2024) removed even the optional state testing provisions.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Straight answers for Nebraska families

№ 04
No. Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601(3) requires no license, degree, or qualification for the parent or anyone the parent chooses to provide instruction. The statute leaves monitoring of instruction to the parent's satisfaction - the state's hands-off posture is written directly into the law.
Yes. File your Exempt School Program paperwork with NDE at least 30 days before you begin instruction, then withdraw your child from the district in writing. Keep dated copies of the filing and the withdrawal letter - together they document the legal status change while attendance obligations transfer to your exempt school.
No. Districts have no role in Nebraska's process at all - your filing goes to the Nebraska Department of Education, and NDE itself only records the exemption. There is no approval step, no curriculum review, and no inspection. Exempt schools are, by definition, schools the state has agreed not to oversee.
No. Exempt school students are never required to test, and there are no evaluation checkpoints at any grade. LB 1027 (2024) went further and removed the old provisions that had allowed optional state testing and school visits. Many families still test privately for their own information, but nothing goes to the state.
Keep copies of your filed Form A and Form B with NDE's acknowledgment, the birth certificate copy from your first filing, and an hours log showing 1,032 elementary or 1,080 secondary hours. None of it is submitted, but the hours log is your cleanest proof of compliance - and a transcript plus sample work will matter for college applications later.
Yes - since LB 1027 passed in 2024, exempt school students may enroll part-time and participate in extracurricular activities at their resident district. NSAA eligibility rules apply, including part-time enrollment at the public school, and your homeschool sets the academic standards it certifies to the district. Talk to the school's activities director early about registration windows.
Yes. Parents set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript - Nebraska has no state credit minimums for exempt school students. Rule 13 even provides a Report of Completion of Instruction (Form D) you may file with NDE to document graduation, which some families use as an extra paper trail for colleges and employers.
No. Nebraska has no ESA or homeschool funding program. The state's private school scholarship program was repealed by voters in November 2024, and it never covered exempt school families anyway. The upside of zero funding is zero strings - no reporting, approvals, or oversight attached to your homeschool. Watch current legislation, as proposals do resurface.
Resources · Nebraska

Where Nebraska families get their bearings

№ 05
Official - State

Nebraska Department of Education

The Exempt School Program page - forms, the online filing portal, FAQs, and Rule 13 itself, straight from NDE.

Visit NDE
Community - Statewide

Nebraska Christian Home Educators Association (NCHEA)

Nebraska's statewide homeschool organization - legislative monitoring, filing walkthroughs, support groups, and an annual conference.

Visit NCHEA
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Nebraska's exempt school law, plus member legal help if you ever face questions about your filing.

Read the Law
The Nebraska Getting Started Kit

The whole filing, mapped out for you.

The Nebraska Getting Started Kit turns Rule 13 into paperwork you can actually complete - five polished, print-ready documents built around Nebraska's exempt school requirements, so your July filing takes an afternoon instead of a month of second-guessing.

  • Exempt School Filing Companion - Form A and Form B walked through line by line, with the July 15 and 30-day mid-year deadlines from Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 79-1601 flagged.
  • Nebraska Compliance Checklist - every requirement as a checkable item, from the first-year birth certificate copy to the annual renewal.
  • Hours Log - weekly tracking matched to the 1,032 elementary / 1,080 secondary hour standard, with running year-to-date totals.
  • Weekly Planning Template - built around the five required subjects, with room for co-ops, part-time classes, and field trips.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day action plan from decision to your first week of teaching.
Instant Digital Download
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Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the Nebraska Department of Education and your school district, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Nebraska law as of 2026.

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