Starting a Private School in Kansas
Regulations, Resources, & Support
Kansas State Regulations
General Regulations
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Licensing is not required in Kansas, but all schools must register with the state. Additionally, Kansas offers optional accreditation and approval processes.
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The Kansas Department of Education has assembled a page of detailed requirements for private schools.
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Homeschooling is treated the same as a non-accredited private schools, and requires registration with the state.
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The US Office of Innovation & Improvement has assembled a summary of regulations for private schools operating in Kansas.
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The Kansas DOE has no published requirements for school insurance -- consult a professional for guidance in this area.
State Funding Sources & Support
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Kansas provides funding for private education:
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Low-income Students Scholarship: Provides low-income students scholarship money for attending nonpublic schools. Funds come from donations, which result in tax credits for those who contribute.
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Curriculum Requirements
Accredited schools must teach reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, spelling, English grammar and composition, history of the United States and of Kansas, civil government and citizenship, health and hygiene, and other subjects as the Kansas State Board of Education determines.
Teacher Certification & Hiring
Accredited schools must hire certified teachers, while non-accredited schools must have teachers that are "competent instructors."
Food Services / Lunch
In Kansas, school lunch requirements, including funding for schools offering the National School Lunch Program, are managed by the Department of Education.
Length of School Year
Private schools must offer instruction for a period of time that is “substantially equivalent” to the period of time public schools are open (465 hours per year for kindergarten, 1,116 hours per year for grades 1 through 11, and 1,086 hours per year for grade 12).
Recordkeeping & Reports
Schools must receive documentation of student identity and birth date. Additionally, schools must maintain attendance records and report students who are truant.
Healthy & Safety Requirements
Students must receive a health assessment and provide records of immunizations prior to enrolling in school. Private schools must also provide vision and hearing screenings to students. Tornado and fire drills are also required to take place throughout the school year.
Transportation
Students of accredited private or parochial schools are entitled to transportation along the regular route of the school bus if transportation is provided to public school students.
Testing
Non-accredited schools are not required to test students, but accredited schools must have 95% of enrolled students participate in testing.
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Kansas State Resources
State & Regional Associations
Government Websites
Helping Educators Do the Work That Matters
Quick Guide Nav
We gathered so much information that we had to break it down into 10 chapters. This free information is well-researched- we even hunted down the rules and regulations for each state! If you're thinking about starting a private school, you will find this guide very handy!
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