Starting a Private School in Colorado
Regulations, Resources, & Support
Colorado State Regulations
General Regulations
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Accreditation in the state of Colorado is optional, but all schools are required to have a business license from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office to operate.
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The Colorado Department of Education has assembled a page of detailed requirements for private schools.
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The US Office of Innovation & Improvement has assembled a summary of regulations for private schools operating in Colorado
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Colorado requires home schooling be completed by families and a qualified person must conduct an evaluation of student progress, or students must take standardized tests to prove sufficient academic progress is being made.
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The Colorado DOE has no published requirements for school insurance -- consult a professional for guidance in this area.
State Funding Sources & Support
Colorado does not provide funding for private education.
Curriculum Requirements
The state requires that nonpublic schools provide regular instruction in communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science. Students must also be educated in proper respect of the flag, and the US Constitution.
Teacher Certification & Hiring
Teacher certification is optional for nonpublic schools.
Food Services / Lunch
In Colorado, school lunch requirements, including funding for schools offering the National School Lunch Program, are managed by the Department of Education.
Length of School Year
In order to meet the state’s compulsory school attendance law, students must attend school for a minimum of 172 days per year.
Recordkeeping & Reports
Schools must provide, when requested, name, age, place of residence, and number of days of attendance of all children of school age, during the preceding month, who attended the school. Schools are also required to maintain immunization records for students.
Healthy & Safety Requirements
Transportation
There are no policies in place regarding transportation.
Testing
Nonpublic schools are not required to administer standardized tests, but can choose to, at their own expense.
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Colorado State Resources
State & Regional Associations
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Association of Colorado Independent Schools: a non-profit organization dedicated to the continuous improvement of member schools by providing accreditation, professional development, and advocacy services.
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Colorado Association of Private Schools: Its primary mission is to preserve the independence of Colorado’s private schools and to uphold parental choice in education.
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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