Starting a Private School in Minnesota
Regulations, Resources, & Support
Minnesota State Regulations
General Regulations
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Accreditation is optional in Minnesota and licensing, approval, and registration are not required.
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The Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
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Homeschooling requires annual reporting and teachers must meet minimum qualifications.
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The Minnesota DOE has no published requirements for school insurance -- consult a professional for guidance in this area.
State Funding Sources & Support
Minnesota does not provide funding for private education but does offer tax credits for qualified educational expenses, which private school tuition falls under.
Curriculum Requirements
Minnesota’s compulsory education law requires instruction in 1) basic communication skills, including reading, writing, literature, and fine arts; 2) mathematics and science; 3) social studies, including history, geography, and government; and 4) health and physical education.
Teacher Certification & Hiring
Teacher certification is optional.
Food Services / Lunch
In Minnesota, school lunch requirements, including funding for schools offering the National School Lunch Program, are managed by the Department of Education.
Length of School Year
There are no regulations on the length of the school year.
Recordkeeping & Reports
Healthy & Safety Requirements
Students must be immunized or provide documentation of a medical or religious exemption. Schools must also host fire, lockdown, and tornado drills throughout the school year.
Transportation
A school district eligible to receive state aid for transportation must provide equal transportation within the district for all school children to any school when transportation is necessary because of distance or traffic conditions.
Testing
Students at non-accredited schools are required to take annual standardized tests to ensure academic progress is being made.
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Minnesota 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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