A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

The Regulation of Private Schools In America: A State-by-State Analysis

Chart 1: State Oversight of Private Schools

STATE	Registration	Approval	Accreditation	Licensing
Alabama	mandatory			mandatory with broad exemptions
Alaska			voluntary
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado			voluntary acknowledgment
Connecticut		voluntary
Delaware
District of Columbia		mandatory
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii		mandatory
Idaho
Illinois	voluntary	voluntary
Indiana¹			voluntary
Iowa			See below.²
Kansas	mandatory unless accredited		voluntary
Kentucky³
Louisiana		voluntary
Maine		voluntary	voluntary
Maryland		mandatory, church schools exempt
Massachusetts		mandatory⁴
Michigan		mandatory
Minnesota
Mississippi		mandatory for schools receiving public funds
Missouri
Montana			voluntary
Nebraska⁵		voluntary	voluntary
Nevada				mandatory with exemptions⁶
New Hampshire		mandatory
New Jersey		mandatory on a limited basis
New Mexico			voluntary
New York	mandatory for nonpublic high schools issuing diplomas only
North Carolina	See below.⁷		voluntary
North Dakota		mandatory	voluntary
Ohio⁸
Oklahoma			voluntary
Oregon	voluntary	mandatory for public placement for special education services		private school residential programs only
Pennsylvania	mandatory for sectarian schools			mandatory for nonsectarian schools unless accredited
Puerto Rico			voluntary	mandatory
Rhode Island		mandatory
South Carolina		voluntary⁹
South Dakota		mandatory	voluntary
Tennessee		voluntary	mandatory, unless membership in specified associations
Texas
Utah			voluntary
Vermont		voluntary
Virginia			voluntary	mandatory for special education schools unless approved/ accredited
Virgin Islands ¹⁰			voluntary
Washington		mandatory	voluntary
West Virginia		mandatory, with alternative
Wisconsin		voluntary
Wyoming				mandatory for nonreligious elementary and secondary schools

¹ Indiana has a voluntary recognition process for non public schools.

²Iowa private schools have the option of state accreditation or operating with licensed instructors.

³ Kentucky law provides for the voluntary certification of private, parochial and church schools.

⁴Massachusetts law requires mandatory approval of private schools by the local school committees.

⁵Nebraska private schools have the option of approval or accreditation; and, if these options violate parent's religious beliefs, parents can elect to comply with other state requirements.

⁶Nevada nonprofit fraternal or benevolent institutions offering instruction to their members or their immediate relatives are exempt from licensing subject to the approval of the State Department of Education.

⁷ North Carolina private schools must file a notice of intent to operate within the state.

⁸ Ohio private schools are chartered on a voluntary basis by the State Board of Education.

⁹South Carolina private schools have the option of state approval or membership in the South Carolina Independent School Association or a similar organization. Parochial, denominational and church-related schools are exempt.

¹⁰The Virgin Islands' law provide for mandatory certificates of operation issued by the Department of Education.
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[Wyoming]

[Chart 2: State-Mandated Educational Requirements]