Private Schools

Highlights

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September 3: Please Review: Verify and Update Your School's Contact Information

Contact

A private school in Washington is a non-public school offering kindergarten and at least one grade, or any combination of grades one through twelve. Approximately 500 private schools operate statewide, serving over 80,000 students.

Important Update: The private schools phone number has changed to 360-791-5605.

Overview of Private School Approval

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) annually approves private schools. This approval confirms that a school meets minimum requirements for health, safety, and a basic educational program that aligns with state graduation standards. Note: Approval by the Board does not carry with it an endorsement of the school or its programs.

Online-Only Private Schools

According to RCW (Revised Code of Washington) 28A.195.090, an approved Washington private school may have an online program. However, completely online schools or schools with physical facilities only outside Washington cannot be approved. Washington private school law assumes a physical facility in the state of Washington where students are enrolled and regularly attend (RCW (Revised Code of Washington) 28A.195.010(6)).

Note: The State Board office does not oversee the issuance of educator licenses or certificates, General Educational Development (GED) test results or high school transcripts. The Board does not receive copies of any student records.

Lists of Approved Private Schools
Private School Approval Certificates
Private School Enrollment Data
Annual Reporting Requirements
Information and Resources
Private School Laws

Lists of Approved Private Schools

Washington State law requires private schools to be approved by the Washington State Board of Education (SBE). Accreditation is optional, granted by an external accrediting organization, and involves a separate, rigorous process.

2024-2025 (updated October 16, 2024)
2023-2024 (updated April 25, 2024)
2022-2023 (updated April 3, 2023)

Private School

Approval Certificates

October 2024 (PDF / Doc)
September 2024 (PDF / Doc)
August 2024 (PDF / Doc)
June 2024 (PDF / Doc)

Private School Enrollment Data

The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) collects private school enrollment data annually. While reporting is not required for approval, enrollment numbers may be used to verify information during the approval process and in the distribution of federal funds.

The Board has published a research brief on enrollment trends from 2018 – 2019 to 2023 – 2024.

Private schools are encouraged to submit their enrollment data. Though self-reported and not verified by the Board, efforts are ongoing to improve accuracy. In the 2019 – 2020 school year, 88% of approved private schools reported their enrollment.

Number of Private Schools Reporting	School Year	PreK	KG	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
505 Schools	2018-19	9492	7185	6316	5981	6113	5951	6079	6204	5914	5847	4843	4789	4441	4467	74130
487 Schools	2019-20	8338	6031	5457	5165	5157	5086	5050	5596	5432	5146	4493	4413	4053	4191	65270**
449 Schools	2020-21	7209	6466	5625	5599	5426	5245	5427	5564	5396	5473	4555	4548	4254	4069	67647
495 Schools	2021-22	10340	7976	7209	6635	6369	6230	6135	6531	6078	6012	5233	4668	4416	4253	77718
538 Schools	2022-23	12437	8099	7542	7211	6684	6634	6624	6742	6638	6206	5367	5084	4345	4259	81959
546 Schools	2023-24	11960	7918	7319	7231	7067	6612	6646	6871	6628	6401	5344	5159	4641	4125	81962

Enrollment Data by School:

Annual Reporting Requirements

Private schools must submit yearly reports to comply with Washington state law. The State Board of Education (SBE) requires two:

Enrollment Reporting: The official count day is typically on or around October 1, with reports due November 1.

Private School Approval: Annual approval is granted each spring.

Additional reports may be required by other state agencies, including the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Department of Health (DOH).