Private School Approval

Contact

Any questions should be directed to:
Private Schools Manager

A private school is a nonpublic school offering a program that includes kindergarten and at least one grade, or any combination of grades one through twelve. Under Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28A.195.010, the Legislature mandates that the State Board of Education (SBE) annually approve private schools to operate in Washington. These schools must maintain a program that ensures a sufficient basic education for students to meet usual state graduation requirements and meet reasonable standards for health and safety of private school students. 

Approval applications are accepted during the month of March. A link to the application will appear here when available.

New Application Icon

New School Approval

 

Renewal Application Icon

Renewing School Approval

Log in to submit separate applications for each campus. Use the Head of School’s email address as the username and the school building code as the password. If your organization operates multiple facilities, you must submit a separate application must be completed for each campus. 

Key Dates & Deadlines  

  • February 14, 2025: Deadline to submit the Change of Information Alert Form, if necessary. 

  • Tuesdays in February: Zoom Q&A sessions for new school planning, 12:00–12:30 PM. 

  • Wednesdays in March: Zoom Q&A sessions, 12–12:30 PM.  

  • March 3, 2025: New & Renewing School Approval Applications Available. 

  • April 1, 2025: All Approval Applications Due. 

  • June 24-26, 2025: State Board of Education reviews and approves applications submitted by April 1st.

Preview Application Materials 

  • Sample applications for both new and renewing schools will be available for download in February 2025. 

  • Online application will be available March 3, 2025. 

Required Paperwork 

  • Staffing Report: For schools employing non-Washington certificated teachers. 

  • Health and Fire Inspection Reports: Required for new or renovated schools. 

Note: If you encounter issues downloading forms, try using a different browser. 

Q&A Support Sessions for Applicants 

  • February: Zoom Q&A sessions for new school planning, Tuesdays, 12:00–12:30 PM. [Link available February 2025.] 

  • March: Zoom Q&A sessions for general application support, Wednesdays, 12:00–12:30 PM. [Link available March 2025.] 

What Happens After a School Submits an Application? 

  • Confirmation Email: After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Save this email and forward it to relevant staff within your organization. 

  • Application Status Tracker: Starting March 10, 2025, check the status of your application by clicking a link to the Application Status Submission Tracker. This tracker is updated weekly. Missing paperwork and the anticipated approval date will be noted in the tracker. Please note: the State Board will not notify you if paperwork is missing. [Link will appear here.] 

  • Review Timeline: Applications submitted by April 1 will be reviewed at the Board’s June 2025 meeting. Late applications will be considered at later board meetings. See the 2025 Board Meetings for dates. 

  • Approval Notification: Schools will be notified of approval within the two weeks following the Board's June meeting (or a subsequent meeting if an application was submitted later). 

  • Certificates of Approval: Certificates will be available for download within a month of approval. Fully approved schools may also request a web badge from the Private Schools Manager. 

Are you Temporarily or Permanently Closing a School?

You must submit the Closure Form. 

Information for Online-Only Private Schools 

According to RCW 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 28A.195.010(6)).