How do homeschool co-ops work?
Families agree to meet on the same day each week during term, usually in a church hall, a community centre or a hired room. Parents take turns teaching, so a parent who is confident with science takes the science class and someone else takes art. Most co-ops expect a parent to stay on site rather than drop off, and most ask every family to contribute in some way, whether that is teaching, setting up or helping in a room. A term runs eight to fourteen weeks, and places are usually allocated before the term starts rather than week by week.
How much does a homeschool co-op cost?
It depends on what the co-op has to pay for. A group meeting in a member's home with borrowed materials can run on almost nothing, while a co-op hiring a hall and paying outside tutors for a few classes costs real money per term. The fees each group publishes are listed on this page where we have them, taken from the group's own website, so you can compare rather than guess. Ask what the fee covers before you commit: some cover the hall only, and materials are extra.
Does North Carolina give money for homeschooling?
No. North Carolina has no education savings account for homeschooling families, so co-op fees, curriculum and testing costs come out of your own pocket. The Opportunity Scholarship is for private school tuition and does not apply to home schools.
Do co-op classes count toward the nine months North Carolina requires?
Yes. The requirement is that your school operates on a regular schedule for at least nine calendar months, and a co-op day is a day of instruction like any other. Record it the way you record the rest of your year.
Can you charge for a homeschool co-op?
Most co-ops do, because a hall costs money and so do materials. What separates a co-op from a business is usually that the fee covers costs rather than paying the parents who teach. Some co-ops are incorporated as non-profits and some are an informal group with a shared bank account. If you are starting one and planning to pay teachers, that is a different undertaking with tax and insurance questions attached, and it is worth taking advice before the first term rather than after it.