Complaints about Private Schools

Procedure for Handling Complaints & Concerns - Conventional Private Schools

1. Complaints are not accepted or acted upon during the months of June, July and August since the compulsory attendance and the non-public school laws of North Carolina are not applicable while local schools are out of session during the summer months.
2. All complaints and concerns about conventional non-public schools received by the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) staff must be in writing; on the appropriate prescribed DNPE Citizen Complaint Form; and include:
   1. Permission from the complainant for a copy of the complaint or concern to be sent to the school.
      If permission is not included on the proper written complaint form, the complaint or concern will not be pursued any further. 
      For efficiency reasons, anonymous or oral complaints and concerns are not accepted or acted upon.
   2. Brief, concise details which support the specific legal requirement of the North Carolina Non-Public Education Statutes which has allegedly been violated.
   3. Any other pertinent information bearing on the legal requirement(s) cited on the Citizen Complaint Form, including names, dates, places, circumstances, etc.
3. A copy of the complaint or concern is forwarded by DNPE to the school requesting that the school promptly consider and investigate the allegations and then respond before a specific date (usually within 10 days).
   A Response to Complaint Form is also included.
4. The school forwards its completed Response to Complaint Form to the North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education staff, at which time it is reviewed by the DNPE staff and one of the following occurs:
   1. If it is concluded that the allegations do not establish a violation of the non-public education statutes (G.S. 115C-547-562), a letter is sent to the complainant confirming this, along with a copy of the school's response.
      A copy of this letter is also sent to the school's chief administrator.
   2. If it appears that a non-public education statute has been violated, the DNPE staff shall conduct a further investigation to determine whether or not the school has automatically terminated its legal status by failure, after a reasonable amount of time, to meet all of the appropriate non-public education statutes governing that type of non-public school.
      If the school has indeed automatically terminated its legal status, local compulsory attendance enforcement authorities will be notified who will then begin legal proceedings against the parents of the students currently enrolled in the school.

Citizen Complaint Section
NC Division of Non-Public Education 
1309 Mail Service Center 
Raleigh, NC 27699-1309