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🚀 How to Start Homeschooling in Nebraska

The first steps for a Nebraska family starting to homeschool: what to file, how to leave a public school, and where to find co-ops, classes and help — drawn from our Nebraska guide and articles.

Homeschooling in Nebraska: the basics

The law: under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601, a private, denominational or parochial school either meets the State Board of Education's accreditation or approval requirements or elects not to and follows the rules in subsections (2) through (6). NDE says that in Nebraska "home schools" are referred to as exempt schools and are considered non-approved and non-accredited private schools. An exempt school can also be outside the child's home and have students from more than one family.
Who must attend: a child is of mandatory attendance age if the child will reach 6 before January 1 of the current school year and hasn't reached 18 (§ 79-201(1)). The child must attend a public, private, denominational or parochial school that meets Chapter 79's requirements, or a school that elects under § 79-1601 not to meet accreditation or approval requirements (§ 79-201(2)). A violation is a Class III misdemeanor.
Ages 6 and 7: for a child who is 6 but not yet 7, a parent can instead sign an affidavit, filed with the resident school district, saying the child will attend an exempt school and the parent will file with the Commissioner of Education on or before the child's seventh birthday (§ 79-201(3)(e)). NDE doesn't provide or collect this affidavit — ask your district. For 2026–27, NDE says filing is required for a child age 7 up to age 18.
Exceptions: the attendance law doesn't apply to a child who has earned a high school diploma under § 79-729, has completed the program of instruction offered by an exempt school, or has reached 16 and been withdrawn under § 79-202 (§ 79-201(3)).
Ages 16 and 17: a parent may withdraw a 16- or 17-year-old from an exempt school before graduation, and be exempt from the attendance law, by filing a signed release on a form the Commissioner of Education prescribes (§ 79-202(6)). NDE calls it the Withdrawal of a Child(ren) From the Exempt School form; ask the Exempt School Program Office for it. A child under 18 who has completed the exempt school's program is reported on a Report of Completion of Program of Instruction.
The two statements: the parent's signed statement must say either that the approval and accreditation requirements violate the parent's sincerely held religious beliefs, or that they interfere with the parent's decisions in directing the child's education (§ 79-1601(3)(a)). It also says the school offers the required courses and that the parent is satisfied the people monitoring instruction are qualified to monitor instruction in the basic skills (§ 79-1601(3)(c)–(d)).
Who can teach: people teaching at an exempt school don't need teacher certification (§ 79-1601(5)(a)), and NDE says there are no formal educational qualifications. You may teach children other than your own. Since July 18, 2026 (LB 937, 2026), people monitoring or providing instruction at an exempt school must not have been convicted of the felonies listed in § 79-1601(5)(b), which include first-degree sexual assault and child abuse.
What LB 1027 (2024) changed: approved April 15, 2024, it amended § 79-1601. NDE says that since LB 1027 only one parent, legal guardian or educational decisionmaker has to complete the filing, and curriculum information and instructional monitors no longer have to be reported to NDE.
If you don't file: NDE says failing to file means no exemption from the attendance law has taken effect, and the parent could be prosecuted under the mandatory attendance laws — the student is considered truant. A school that elects exemption but doesn't meet § 79-1601's requirements isn't deemed a school (§ 79-1601(6)).
Online programs: an out-of-state or private online program doesn't replace the filing. NDE says families using programs such as Time for Learning, Acellus, Abeka or Penn Foster must still file as an exempt school if the child is of mandatory attendance age. NDE's only two exceptions are full-time enrollment in the University of Nebraska High School or the Omaha Virtual School through Omaha Public Schools, which are Nebraska accredited schools.
Public school is not homeschooling: under the Enrollment Option Program a student attending another public district must be enrolled full time there; NDE says that if the student will be homeschooled instead, the parent should cancel the option.
How many: NDE counted 16,419 exempt school students at the end of the 2024–25 school year, living in all 93 counties, and estimates 18,015 for 2025–26 (subject to audit).

Read the full section in our Nebraska guide

Official sources

Summarized from our Nebraska guide (as of November 2026) and articles. Rules change — confirm on the official pages before you act.

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