Homeschool benefits and savings in Susquehanna County
Susquehanna County Library gives homeschool families who live in the county a free Homeschool library card with a longer checkout period, plus monthly homeschool programs for elementary-age learners during the school year. Register for the library's Homeschool program at any branch to get it.
Who qualifies
Lives in Susquehanna County
The homeschool benefits are for county residents. Library cards are free to anyone who lives, owns property, or works in the county.
Registered in the Homeschool program
Your family registers in the library's Homeschool program to get the Homeschool card and join the monthly programs. The website does not say what homeschool proof it asks for, so call the branch before you go.
Shows ID as a new patron
New registrants show a photo ID, or a utility bill if they have none. The card is mailed to you, and you borrow one item until you bring it in to confirm your address.
What the card gives you
The terms come from the library's Homeschool Services page and its Circulation Policy, in effect since September 18, 2023.
- Homeschool card checkout period
- Longer than a standard card
- Renewals per item
- 2, if not on hold
- DVD loan period
- 2 weeks
- Holds kept for pickup
- 1 week
- Overdue fine
- $0.25 a day
- Interlibrary loan
- Free
The library does not publish the length of the extended homeschool checkout, so ask at registration how long Homeschool card items can stay out.
How to get the card
- Before you go
Bring ID
Bring a photo ID, or a utility bill if you have no photo ID, and any homeschool paperwork the branch asks for when you call.
- At a branch
Register for the Homeschool program
Sign up at Montrose, Forest City, Hallstead-Great Bend, or Susquehanna. A parent signs for any child under 18.
- First visit after
Bring the mailed card
Your card arrives by mail. Bring it on your next visit to confirm your address and lift the one-item limit.
- Each month
Attend homeschool programs
Registered families can join the monthly programs, which start with a book and expand into activities across the curriculum.
- Any visit
Use the swap shelf
Take homeschool materials from the Homeschool Swap Shelf, and ask at the front desk if you want to donate your own.
What it includes
Included
- Extended checkout period on the Homeschool card
- Monthly homeschool programs for elementary-age learners
- Homeschool Swap Shelf at Montrose and Forest City
- Free interlibrary loan
Not included
- Families outside Susquehanna County
- Out-of-state cards, which cost $25 a year
- Renewals on items another patron has on hold
Who to contact about the card
The main library at 458 High School Road in Montrose registers homeschool families and answers questions about cards and programs.
info@susqcolibrary.org 570-278-1881 Homeschool services page
Homeschool rules and statewide help in Pennsylvania
You must file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with the superintendent before starting and by August 1 in subsequent years. Include educational objectives and required health and immunization documentation or exemptions. Certify that the supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody have no conviction for the listed statutory offenses in the preceding five years.
Pennsylvania sets these rules:
- Subjects: Teach in English the subjects required for elementary or secondary home education, including English, math, science, geography, history/civics, health, PE, art, music, and ongoing fire-safety instruction. Provide 180 days or 900 elementary/990 secondary hours annually.
- Testing: Include reading and math test results in the portfolio in grades 3, 5, and 8. Obtain an annual evaluation and submit the evaluator’s certification to the superintendent by June 30. The supervisor, parent or guardian may not administer an alternative approved standardized test.
- Records: Keep a portfolio with a reading-materials log, work samples, required test results, and the annual evaluation. Document the required instructional days or hours.
- Teachers: The supervisor must be the parent, guardian, or legal custodian with a high-school diploma or equivalent. The supervisor, adults living in the home, and persons with legal custody must meet the statutory five-year criminal-conviction condition.
Read the Pennsylvania homeschooling guide See statewide programs in Pennsylvania
Questions parents ask
- What ages are the Susquehanna County Library homeschool programs for?
- They are geared for elementary-age learners. Each program begins with a book and adds activities on topics across the curriculum.
- What is the Susquehanna County Library Homeschool Swap Shelf?
- It is a free shelf of homeschool materials donated by other homeschool families. In Montrose it sits between the Children's and Teen areas, and in Forest City it is in the Children's Section.
- What happens if our books come back late?
- Overdue items cost $0.25 a day. Once fines reach $10 you cannot borrow until you pay them down, and a $5-a-week payment plan lets you keep borrowing one item at a time.
- Can my child have a separate card?
- Yes. When you register, you can add your child under your card so you can see what they borrow, or authorize your child to have their own card.
Turn support into your child’s next lesson
Books and library resources give your child something to explore. We turn their interests into coursework, so library discoveries can lead to deeper study at home.
$149/month per child after the trial.
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