State Regulations of Private Schools (PDF)

[Pages:345]U.S. Department of Education

State Regulation of Private Schools

State Regulation of Private Schools

U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement

Office of Non-Public Education 2009

The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, curricula, and curricular materials and approaches, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. This publication also contains Internet Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) for information created and maintained by private organizations. This information is provided for the reader`s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education is not responsible for controlling or guaranteeing the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of outside information mentioned in this report. Further, the inclusion of information or a URL does not reflect the importance of the organization, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered.

U.S. Department of Education Arne Duncan Secretary Office of Innovation and Improvement James H. Shelton Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Office of Non-Public Education Jack Klenk Director July 2009 This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, State Regulation of Private Schools, Washington, D.C., 2009. This report is available on the Department`s Web site at: .

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Contents

Acknowledgements............................................................................................................. v Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 ALABAMA ........................................................................................................................ 3 ALASKA ............................................................................................................................ 8 ARIZONA......................................................................................................................... 13 ARKANSAS ..................................................................................................................... 18 CALIFORNIA .................................................................................................................. 23 COLORADO .................................................................................................................... 31 CONNECTICUT .............................................................................................................. 36 DELAWARE .................................................................................................................... 42 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ............................................................................................ 46 FLORIDA ......................................................................................................................... 51 GEORGIA......................................................................................................................... 57 HAWAII ........................................................................................................................... 63 IDAHO.............................................................................................................................. 70 ILLINOIS.......................................................................................................................... 75 INDIANA ......................................................................................................................... 82 IOWA................................................................................................................................ 89 KANSAS........................................................................................................................... 96 KENTUCKY................................................................................................................... 103 LOUISIANA................................................................................................................... 108 MAINE ........................................................................................................................... 116 MARYLAND ................................................................................................................. 124 MASSACHUSETTS....................................................................................................... 131 MICHIGAN .................................................................................................................... 136 MINNESOTA ................................................................................................................. 143 MISSISSIPPI .................................................................................................................. 150 MISSOURI ..................................................................................................................... 154 MONTANA .................................................................................................................... 158 NEBRASKA ................................................................................................................... 163 NEVADA........................................................................................................................ 169 NEW HAMPSHIRE ....................................................................................................... 176 NEW JERSEY ................................................................................................................ 182 NEW MEXICO............................................................................................................... 188 NEW YORK ................................................................................................................... 192 NORTH CAROLINA ..................................................................................................... 200 NORTH DAKOTA ......................................................................................................... 207 OHIO............................................................................................................................... 212 OKLAHOMA ................................................................................................................. 219 OREGON ........................................................................................................................ 225 PENNSYLVANIA.......................................................................................................... 229 PUERTO RICO .............................................................................................................. 238 RHODE ISLAND ........................................................................................................... 242 SOUTH CAROLINA...................................................................................................... 247

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SOUTH DAKOTA ......................................................................................................... 252 TENNESSEE .................................................................................................................. 260 TEXAS............................................................................................................................ 267 UTAH ............................................................................................................................. 272 VERMONT..................................................................................................................... 277 VIRGIN ISLANDS......................................................................................................... 285 VIRGINIA ...................................................................................................................... 288 WASHINGTON ............................................................................................................. 294 WEST VIRGINIA .......................................................................................................... 301 WISCONSIN .................................................................................................................. 306 WYOMING .................................................................................................................... 313 APPENDIX A: TABLES ON STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS ......................................................................................................................................... 317 APPENDIX B: TABLE ON STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOMESCHOOLS ..... 333 APPENDIX C: LEGAL HISTORY OF THE REGULATION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS (2000) .............................................................................................................................. 335

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks are extended to the many individuals who assisted in the work of this report. State liaisons from all 50 state departments of education, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (see below), worked to ensure the information provided here is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. Without their assistance, this information could not have been provided to our readers.

Thanks to James Shelton, assistant deputy secretary for innovation and improvement, the principal office within which the Office of Non-Public Education is located. We also thank our colleagues in U.S. Department of Education who reviewed this document.

Special thanks to Erin McHugh of the Office of Non-Public Education for managing this project, contacting the states, and editing this document.

Our readers are cautioned that in reviewing any particular legal questions, the underlying state constitutions, laws and relevant court decisions should be consulted. Nothing in this study reflects the position of the U.S. Department of Education as to the meaning or effect of any state legal requirement.

Jack Klenk Director, Office of Non-Public Education U.S. Department of Education

Alabama Department of Education Alaska Department of Education and Early Development Arkansas Department of Education Arizona Department of Education California Department of Education Colorado Department of Education Connecticut Department of Education Delaware Department of Education District of Columbia, Office of State Superintendent Florida Department of Education Georgia Department of Education Hawaii Association of Independent Schools Idaho Department of Education Illinois State Department of Education Indiana Department of Education Iowa Department of Education Kansas State Department of Education Kentucky Department of Education Louisiana Department of Education Maine Department of Education

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Eddie Johnson Erik McCormick Jeremy Lasiter Doug Nick George Olive Pahmela Hines Laura Anastasio Vicki Fjelsted Fields Ingrid Naughton Christopher Fenton Jeff Gagne Cynthia Jordan Lori Howard Patrick Murphy Gary Wallyn Julie Melcher Deanna Lieber Dawn Offut Jackie Bobbett Edwin Kastuck

Maryland Department of Education Massachusetts Department of Education Michigan Department of Education Minnesota Department of Education Mississippi State Department of Education Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Montana Office of Public Instruction Nebraska Department of Education Nevada Department of Education New Hampshire Department of Education

New Jersey Department of Education New Mexico Department of Education New York State Department of Education North Carolina Division of Non-Public Education North Dakota Department of Education Ohio Department of Education Oklahoma State Department of Education Oregon Department of Education Pennsylvania Department of Education Puerto Rico Department of Education Rhode Island Department of Education South Carolina Department of Education South Dakota Department of Education Tennessee Department of Education Texas Education Agency Utah State Office of Education Vermont Department of Education Virgin Islands Department of Education

Virginia Council of Private Education Virginia Department of Education

Washington Department of Education Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction West Virginia Department of Education Wyoming Department of Education

Richard Scott Kathleen LeBlanc Wanda Bazzett Cindy Jackson Betina White Mark Van Zandt Linden Miller Beth Bolte Orval Nutting Leslie HigginsMarie Morgan Constance Webster Michael Kaplan Tom Hogan Rod Helder Linda Paluck Nina Pace Sharon Lease Karyn Chambers Parker Martin Ana Julian Cintr?n Rebecca Wright Shelly Kelly Melody Schopp Connie Mayo Tammy Wooten Carol Lear Pat Pallas Gray Randolph ThomasRita Thomas Josie Wesbter Charles FinelyAnne Wescott Laura Moore Merry Larson Karen Larry Samantha Mills

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Introduction

State Regulation of Private Schools provides a brief description for each state of state legal requirements that apply to K?12 private schools in the United States. This document is intended to serve as a reference for public and nonpublic school officials, state policymakers, researchers, and others. This report is an update of the 2000 publication by the Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE), State Regulation of Private Schools, which in turn was an update of the 1993 publication by the (then) Office of Private Education, The Regulation of Private Schools in America: A State by State Analysis.

To ensure the accuracy of each state summary, ONPE first updated the information published in the 2000 report for that state, using information from the state`s Web site. Then, the update was submitted to appropriate state officials for their consideration, revision, and approval. The individuals in each state who reviewed these summaries were critical to ensure timely and accurate updates. ONPE appreciates their participation, cooperation, and expertise. The end of each chapter includes the date when the state last provided comment. As this report is an electronic publication, chapters will be revised and updated as new information becomes available from the states.

The report includes information in several areas of state regulation of private schools.

The topics include:

Accreditation/Registration/Licensing/Approval, Teacher

Certification, Length of School Year/Days, Curriculum, Recordkeeping/Reports, Health

and Safety Requirements, Transportation, Textbooks, Testing, Special Education,

Nursing and Health, Technology, Professional Development, Reimbursement for

Performing State/Local Functions, Tax Exemption, Public Aid for Private Education,

Homeschooling, and Information Resources. Charts are included at the end of the state-

by-state chapters that summarize key information from the report.

The contents illustrate the nation`s ability to approach similar areas of education in a variety of ways. Not one of the states regulates private schools in exactly the same way as another. Rather, the statutes reflect the unique circumstances, concerns, and policy perspectives in each state.

The goal of the ONPE in publishing this document is to provide concise summaries of relevant state laws in an accessible format. It is our hope that this report will serve the needs of state and federal legislators, public and private school administrators, and the general public.

This document is for informational purposes only. It creates no new rights or responsibilities. Nothing in this report reflects the position of the U.S. Department of Education as to the meaning or effect of any state legal requirement. Readers are encouraged to consult state constitutions and the full text of relevant case law, statutes, and regulations. In addition, readers should be aware that this document is not intended to offer information about the requirements of federal law.

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