LB 1027: Nebraska Homeschool Law Changes in 2024 Explained

Nebraska's homeschool laws changed significantly in 2024, and most online resources haven't caught up. If you've been reading older guides, blog posts, or following advice from Facebook groups, there's a real chance you're operating under rules that no longer apply — or preparing paperwork that the state no longer requires.

Legislative Bill 1027 was signed into law in April 2024. It's the most significant deregulation of Nebraska home education in decades. Here's exactly what changed, what it means for your filing, and what stayed the same.

What LB 1027 Changed

Curriculum reporting is gone

Before LB 1027, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) expected parents to submit a detailed scope and sequence of their curriculum — essentially a roadmap of every subject and instructional approach. The state's online portal still contains a "Step 6: Curriculum" data entry section, which has caused significant confusion. Read the fine print on that page: curriculum submission is no longer required. Many parents are still voluntarily submitting curriculum information because older guides instruct them to. That is unnecessary under current law.

Instructional monitor names and credentials are gone

Previously, the Rule 13 filing required parents to list the names and educational backgrounds of every person who would be monitoring instruction in the home. LB 1027 replaced that requirement with a simple written assurance — a signed statement that you are satisfied the person monitoring instruction is qualified to do so. You don't have to document anyone's credentials or provide background information about the adults in your household.

Home visits are prohibited

The NDE previously held latent authority to conduct home visits for exempt schools. LB 1027 removed that authority entirely. The state may no longer visit your home to inspect your educational program or verify that instruction is occurring. If any school official or NDE representative contacts you about scheduling a home visit, that request has no legal basis.

Standardized testing mandates are gone

Nebraska homeschoolers are no longer required to submit standardized test scores to prove academic progress. The state cannot mandate testing as a condition of maintaining your exempt school status.

One-parent filing is now allowed

Before LB 1027, Rule 13 paperwork required both parents' signatures in most cases. This created legal complications for single parents, divorced families, and situations where parents disagreed about homeschooling. LB 1027 amended the rule to allow a single parent, legal guardian, or court-appointed educational decision-maker to file the paperwork independently.

What LB 1027 Did Not Change

The deregulation was significant but not total. Several core requirements remain in place:

The Rule 13 filing itself is still required

You must still file Form A (Statement of Election and Assurances) and Form B (Authorized Parent Representative Form) with the NDE annually by July 15, or promptly upon a mid-year withdrawal. Filing is not optional. A family that stops sending their child to public school without completing this filing is operating outside the law and subject to truancy prosecution under NRS §79-201.

Instructional hour requirements remain

Nebraska still mandates 1,032 instructional hours per year for elementary students (K-8) and 1,080 hours for high school students (9-12). LB 1027 did not change these thresholds. You are responsible for tracking your hours internally and ensuring you meet them.

Subject area requirements remain

Your exempt school must still provide instruction in five core subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health. The state does not dictate how you teach them or what materials you use — but the five subject areas are still required.

Compulsory attendance ages haven't changed

Nebraska requires school attendance for children ages 6 through 18. LB 1027 did not alter this. Families with children in that age range who are not enrolled in either a public school or a legally filed exempt school are in violation of state law.

Form C is still required for older students withdrawing

If a student between ages 16 and 18 wants to stop attending school entirely — not homeschool, but exit education — the process involves a formal exit interview with the local superintendent and a notarized release (Form C). LB 1027 did not change this procedure.

Why Outdated Information Is a Real Problem

The confusion around LB 1027 is not just theoretical. Nebraska's own NDE portal still displays a curriculum data entry field, leading parents to think it's required. Older blog posts and YouTube walkthroughs from 2022 and 2023 explicitly tell parents to prepare curriculum summaries. Facebook group members frequently cite pre-2024 rules because that's what they followed when they filed.

If you voluntarily submit curriculum information you don't have to provide, you've given the government additional data about your household that has no legal requirement behind it. The principle of minimum necessary disclosure is especially relevant here given Nebraska's history of administrative overreach.

How to File Under the Current Rules

Under the post-LB 1027 framework, a standard Rule 13 filing requires:

• Form A: Your signed statement electing exemption and affirming instructional competency
• Form B: Designating yourself as the authorized parent representative, including your school's dates of operation
• Certified birth certificate for each child (initial filing only)

That's it. No curriculum outline. No monitor names. No test results.

If you're filing for the first time or switching from a public school mid-year, you also need to send a formal withdrawal letter directly to your child's current school via certified mail. The NDE filing handles your state-level status; the withdrawal letter handles your local school's attendance records.

The Nebraska Legal Withdrawal Blueprint is built around the post-LB 1027 requirements — not the 2023 rules. It includes the current Rule 13 checklist, a certified mail withdrawal letter template, and an hour tracker for meeting the instructional hour requirement throughout the year.

Nebraska's homeschool environment is genuinely less burdensome than it was two years ago. Make sure the process you follow reflects that.

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