PRIVATE SCHOOL COOPERATIVES

 

Homeschoolers may wish to consider setting up cooperative private schools in order to homeschool. Essentially, this option means that a group of parents join together to start a school. The requirements are essentially the same as starting a home-based private school. If you can agree on a school name, where it will be located, who will be the administrators, directors and principal officers, and where the records will be located, you can start a cooperative school. One person will need to request, complete, sign and file the private school affidavit. The custodian of records must keep the same records that are required for a home- based private school for a single family. These records include the private school affidavit, attendance records, courses of study offered, faculty and qualifications (including the TB test certificate), criminal record summaries (except for parents teaching exclusively their own children), and immunization records or waivers. The school should provide each family with letters confirming the attendance of their children at the school.

 

Unless your cooperative school holds formal and regular classes with one of the parent-teachers teaching a group of children who are not their own, the criminal record summary required by §44237 is not required. However, if your school has traditional classes where a parent is working with other children, then your school must obtain a criminal record summary for all teachers.

 

If your school has over 50 students and your school has a private school building, there are various building requirements that your school will need to follow. We assume here that each family will be teaching their children or a small group of children in their own home. Private schools that are conducted in private homes with fewer than a specified number of students are not subject to certain building, earthquake, and air contaminant requirements.