Q: I want to home school. Who is responsible for signing my child out of the public school?
A: The parents are always responsible to sign their child/children out of the public school system. The public school is required by law to provide records to the parents at any time. If they insist that they must send the records to the new school, politely inform them that you are the new school.
Q: Is PHEA considered a co-op or school of some type?
A: No. PHEA is a Third Option homeschool accountability group in compliance with South Carolina law.
Q: Does PHEA provide books or curriculums?
A: No, we do not.
Q: Do you proctor standardized tests?
A: No, we do not. PHEA does have a high school (or CEEB) code that you must use when registering for the PSAT, SAT or ACT. This is not a college code. It goes in the section where you designate your school. (The generic home school code is 970000). Do not use this one. Use the PHEA code: 410293.
Q: How do I submit grades to PHEA?
A: In our Forms section, there is a download link to our Class Ranking Form. This form is in Excel and is set up so that you can easily download it, save it on your computer; and fill in the necessary information. Please download the form to your Desktop or Documents file. Open the document and fill in the required information. Then, save the document. You can then send the grades as an attachment in an email to: pheatranscripts@gmail.com
We would ask that you submit your grades on this form only! We will no longer accept grades submitted: on a photographed piece of paper, on a copy of the Class Ranking Form—or in any other non-Excel format. If you presently do not have Excel on your computer, you may download and install a free office suite that has a similar program. For example: LibreOffice or OpenOffice. Once installed, you can open the Class Ranking Form and fill it in. If you have an iPad or tablet, go to www.wps.com
Here is an example of what a filled in class ranking form looks like:
Q: How long does it take to get my child’s transcript after I submit a request?
A: It takes two weeks from the time we receive your transcript request until you receive it. During our peak busy periods, summer being one of them, it may take a bit longer. That is why it is important for you to get things to us in time and to anticipate your need of the transcript. This would include providing a sports transcript if your child is participating in an intramural sports program.
Q: Does PHEA send transcripts directly to secondary schools, colleges or universities?
A: No. According to South Carolina law, the parent is the school. Thus, the parent sends a copy of the transcript to the school in question. PHEA sends parents a transcript that is signed by our Director; the parent then signs it and sends it to the school/university using PHEA’s return address. The institution must accept this transcript—it is considered “official.”
Q: Are there deadlines for the submission of Class Ranking Forms, renewal fees and other materials you may require?
A: YES! It is the parents’ responsibility to submit all materials completed and on time. For Class ranking forms the deadlines are: Seniors by May 15th, Juniors, Sophomores and Freshman by June 7th. When a parent does not submit materials on time, it creates a crisis for the parent, but not necessarily for PHEA. We are here to serve you—and many, many other families. The fact that you did not meet a deadline does not mean that PHEA needs to solve the problem immediately—or at all. It is not fair to take away time from us helping other families who did submit things on time. Moreover, we do not have a large staff, and we are usually working at full capacity. Getting things to us in a timely manner helps all of us: you, PHEA—and your child.
Q: I understand all things must be in on time. However, if I have started, but have not completed, my child’s registration material, will he/she be considered enrolled?
A: NO! All registration and renewal materials, including the class ranking forms if applicable, must be submitted—complete—or your child/children will not be considered as enrolled with us, which means you will be out of compliance with the state. If you are contacted by an official about your home school, PHEA will cover for you if the application is in process, however it is vitally important that you have your paperwork and keep it accessible. Kids have been taken by DSS when parents have not had their records at hand.
Q: What if my high school student has not completed a class and I don’t have a grade to put on the class ranking form?
A: It is important that you register on time. If not all the course work is complete, simply list the class as ‘in progress’ on the class ranking form. Any classes finished after June 15th are recorded in the next year’s course work and GPA. This is required by the Commission on Higher Education. It is in your student’s best interest to have their work done by the end of May once they start high school.
Q: Do you assist a parent if a Department of Social Services agent or school district makes an inquiry?
A: PHEA will do everything in our power to help you. This is generally limited to informing those in question that you are enrolled with PHEA and are therefore in compliance with South Carolina home school law. We can fax records to them if you consent to that. We will not release records if you ask us not to, unless they are subpoenaed. In any event, we would strongly suggest that you become a member of HSLDA to access to legal advice, should this ever be necessary. You may also contact Palmetto Family Council. They will be able to provide you with names of lawyers who understand home schooling and can adequately represent you.
Q: What if I no longer want to stay registered with PHEA? Is there paperwork I must fill out?
A: Yes, even if you no longer want to stay registered with us, you need to fill out the proper paperwork so that we can close your account. What you need to do is download the “Renewal Form” from our website and fill in all the information on the top part. Then, check the “We are NOT renewing” box. You should then mail or email the document back to us as soon as possible.