Nebraska homeschools operate as exempt private schools: annual paperwork to the state Department of Education, core subjects, and minimum hours — no testing.
Homeschooling is legal in Nebraska, where homeschools operate as private schools that have elected exemption from state accreditation. Practically, that means filing exemption paperwork with the Nebraska Department of Education each year — check the department's current deadlines, which differ for new versus continuing schools — and then teaching your children with substantial freedom.
Once filed, obligations are light: cover the core subject areas and provide the required instructional hours (commonly cited as 1,032 hours for elementary grades and 1,080 for high school). No standardized testing, no portfolio reviews, no home visits.
File the exempt-school paperwork with the Nebraska Department of Education annually. The forms ask for basic information about your school, students, and the parent or others providing instruction. Confirm the current filing window when you start.
Provide a program of instruction covering language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health — the same core areas Nebraska expects of its schools.
Plan for the required annual instructional hours — commonly cited as 1,032 for elementary and 1,080 for secondary students. A standard five-day homeschool week across a normal school year meets this comfortably.
Download the exemption forms from the Nebraska Department of Education website and note this year's filing deadline.
File the paperwork before you begin instruction, and withdraw your child from their current school if enrolled.
Set up a simple hour and subject log to show you're meeting the instructional-time expectation.
Calendar next year's renewal filing now so it never lapses.
Choose a curriculum that covers Nebraska's five core areas and tracks hours for you — Cullinan Academy's adaptive lessons log instructional time automatically as your child works.
Whatever Nebraska asks for — attendance, subject coverage, progress evidence, transcripts — Cullinan Academy tracks it automatically as your kids learn: verified mastery records, time-on-task, printable transcripts with GPA, and state report templates. No spreadsheet required.
Because legally your homeschool is a private school electing not to meet state accreditation and approval rules. The filing is how you claim that status each year.
No. There is no standardized testing or assessment requirement for exempt schools.
No. Parents in exempt schools are not required to hold certification or a specific degree.
File the exemption paperwork when you begin rather than waiting for the normal cycle, and contact the Department of Education if you're unsure how mid-year filings are handled.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes, and districts sometimes apply it differently. Verify current requirements with your state's department of education or a local homeschool association before filing anything. Content last reviewed 2026-07.