State Legislative Policies on Private Education.

Overview & Synopsis

The results of a survey of all state and territorial statutes relating to private education are displayed in 65 tables that include excerpts from statutes and citations. Because compulsory education laws provide the basis for most state regulation of private education, the survey also reveals basic requirements for children in public schools. The format for each table is that a specific question is asked; then responses, in alphabetical order by state, are either "No provision" or the relevant statute and legal citation are quoted. State responses to compulsory education and private education exhibit a fascinating range. Thirty-seven states explicitly prohibit assistance to private schools or, in some states, to parochial schools. Laws for school attendance age requirements range from 5 to 8 years for beginning school and from 13 to 18 years for ending school. The number of hours in a school day under compulsory education laws varies from 4 to 7 hours. Days of instruction required per year range from 150 to 190 days. Some states require private schools to be accredited; some require licensure; some make hardly any demands on private schools. (MLF)