Nonpublic Schools

Since the colonial period, parents have retained a legal right to place their children in independent and religious schools. Since the mid-1980's, parents have had a legal right in New York State to instruct their school age children in their homes to satisfy the Compulsory Attendance Law requirements.

  • 15% of the children of school age in New York State (approximately 500,000) attend 2,400 nonpublic schools.
  • 30,000 children are home instructed by their parents.
  • Tens of thousands of other children attend nursery schools, headstart programs, preschools for children with disabilities, and universal pre-kindergartens.

The Nonpublic School Services Team is the "Gate-keeper Between SED and Nonpublic Schools and Organizations, Birth to Grade 12, statewide." State programs and services are usually provided to children attending nonpublic schools by the school districts in which they reside. State-funded programs and services include: Health Services, Homebound Instruction, Textbook Loan Program, Computer Software Loan Program, School Library Materials Loan Program, Transportation for Students Enrolled in Nonpublic Schools, Special Education Services, Dual Enrollment Programs, and Mandated Services Reimbursement.

The nonpublic school services staff:

  • Act as a liaison between religious-affiliated schools, Independent schools, and the Department;
  • Facilitate the delivery of programs, services and resources that nonpublic school students are entitled to receive from the school district of their residence;
  • Manage procedures and processes concerning nonpublic schools and organizations (e.g., the Department’s registration process for all NYS nonpublic high schools);
  • Manage the Department’s chartering and incorporation procedures and processes for nonpublic schools and educational organizations;
  • Manage the statewide Home Instruction system;
  • Coordinate the activities of the Commissioner of Education's Advisory Council for Nonpublic Schools.
Last Updated: January 19, 2010