South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools (SCAIHS)

SCAIHS mission is to provide accountability and support services to home schools families to help them be successful in their home-schooling experience.

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SCAIHS is a nonprofit, voluntary association of independent home schools. It was incorporated on July 25, 1990 and provides academic standards and support services for home schools families mainly in South Carolina but also in other states, military, and internally.

SCAIHS is a nonprofit, voluntary association of independent home schools. On July 25, 1990, SCAIHS was incorporated in the State of South Carolina as an organization to coordinate and establish academic standards and to provide support services for independent home schools.

On April 8, 1992, the South Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation naming the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools as a legal, alternate source of approval for home-schooling parents.

The law states the following in section 59-65-45: "In lieu of the requirements of 59-65-40 (the home-schooling law), parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is conducted under the auspices of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Bona fide membership and continuing compliance with the academic standards of SCAIHS exempts the home school from the further requirements of 59-65-40. The State Department of Education shall conduct annually a review of the association standards to insure that requirements of the association, at a minimum include: a) a parent must hold at least a high school diploma or the equivalent general education development (GED) certificate; b) the instructional year is at least 180 days; c) the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, and, in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature."

SCAIHS continues to be the only home school organization nationwide specifically named in state statute as an alternate means of accountability for home school families. Its Board of Directors is made of up professionals in their fields. The board and staff are Christians but membership in the association is open to persons of all faiths or no faith who fulfill the requirements of membership.

The association is located in a building in Cayce, SC, a suburb of Columbia and includes Home School Bookstore which carries most the favorites of home-school families. The offices and bookstore are open year-round, Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years.