Raleigh Homeschoolers Could Get Part-Time Wake Classes

RALEIGH, N.C. — Homeschooled children in Raleigh and the rest of Wake County could one day split their week between home lessons and district classrooms. The Wake County school board is set on Tuesday to talk through a possible policy that would let homeschool students enroll part-time, an idea the district had turned down in the past.

Wake County counts 10,315 children registered as homeschooled. When the district surveyed homeschool families, 79% of those who answered said they would likely sign up for co-enrollment if it were offered.

Two models are on the table. In one, a student would spend part of each school day in a Wake school, sitting in classes with full-time students, a setup the district sees as a better match for middle and high schools. In the other, students would come in two or three days a week for set part-time classes, which is seen as more workable for younger children.

Several questions remain open, including which grades would qualify, how students would be assigned to schools and what special education services would be available. Letting homeschoolers play on school sports teams would take a separate vote of the board, according to district spokesperson Michael Hyland.

Money is part of the picture. Under state rules, a district collects nothing from North Carolina for a homeschooled child who spends less than 50% of the school day in its classrooms. Lawmakers considered forcing the issue last session: House Bill 905 would have made districts accept part-time homeschool students and paid $270 million a year to do it, but it died in committee.

North Carolina does not require districts to open their doors to part-time homeschoolers, though 77 of the state’s 115 districts already allow it. Wake’s enrollment has gone flat, with 161,415 students projected this year, still below its pre-pandemic count. The district also had to trim $17.6 million from its budget for the 2026-27 school year.

Filed under: Raleigh NC Education News