Private School Regulation Wyoming
Registration/Licensing/Accreditation: The
State Board of Education is charged with the responsibility of
licensing nonsectarian private schools. Wyo. Stat. § 21-2-304. A license issued to a private school
permits the school to solicit, offer, and maintain courses of instruction.
Wyo. Regs. Chapter 18, § 5(c). The licensing provisions, Wyo. Stat. § § 21-2-401
through 21-2-407, authorize minimum standards, degree, performance bond,
and requirements. Wyo. Regs. Chapter 18, § 17 stipulate K-12 license
application requirements. The provisions do not apply to parochial, church
or religious schools. Wyo. Stat. § 21-2-406.
Recordkeeping/Reports: Licensed non religious private schools
are required to submit an annual report to the State Board of Education which
includes the following: (a) dropout rates for grades 9 through 12; (b) school
averages for standard achievement tests; (c) the number of hours of classroom
instruction; (d) the school's recommended course of study for college-bound
students and percent of students who have successfully completed the course
of study; (e) the types of and number of participants in parent and community
involvement programs within the school; (f) the number of parental visits to
the schools; (g) the number of students involved in extra-curricular activities
and events; (h) the percentage of the school's budget spent on instruction,
instructional support, general support and community support; (i) school goals
for the year; (j) a description of efforts being made to reform, restructure
and improve the educational quality and equity in the school, including teacher
recommendations; and, (k) any other information the school believes relevant
to the parents' understanding of the performance of the school. Wyo. Regs.
Chapter 18, § 15.
Length of School Year/Day: To satisfy the compulsory attendance
law, a private school must be open during the entire time that the public schools
are in session in the district in which the pupil resides. (Public schools
are required by statute to operate 175 days each school year unless an alternative
schedule is approved by the state board.) Wyo. Stat. § § 21-4-102(a);
21-4-301.
Teacher Certification: All professional educational staff
members in licensed non religious private schools must have certificates with
the necessary endorsements covering specific assignments and be assigned in
accordance with the certificates and endorsements, except if any staff member
does not qualify for certification or endorsement, the private school must
notify all parents and the public that their teachers are not certified by
the state. Wyo. Regs. Chapter 18, § 12.
Curriculum: All students in licensed non-religious private schools
must meet the student performance standards at the level set by the school in:
(a) Language Arts; (b) Social Studies; (c) Mathematics; (d) Science; (e) Fine
Arts and Performing Arts; (f) Physical Education; (g) Health and Safety; (h)
Humanities; (i) Career Options; (j) Foreign Cultures Including Language; and,
(k) Applied Technology. Wyo. Regs. Chapter 18, § 7.
All students in licensed non religious private schools must meet the student
performance standards at the level set by the school in the following skills:
(a) Problem Solving; (b) Interpersonal Communications; (c) Keyboarding and Computer
Applications; (d) Critical Thinking; (e) Creativity; (f) Life Skills, Including
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Wyo. Regs. Chapter 18, § 8.
Licensed non-religious private schools must provide instruction in the essentials
of the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Wyoming,
including the study of and devotion to American institutions and ideals. Wyo.
Regs. Chapter 18, § 9.
Special Education: State law authorizes the public placement
of children in a private agency, if the local school district cannot provide
the necessary and appropriate programs and services. Wyo. Stat. § 21-2-502.
Health: Students attending K-12 private schools must provide
documentary proof of immunization within 30 days after school entry. School administrators
must not permit a student to attend school beyond that time without proper immunization.
Wyo. Stat. § 21-4-309.
Safety: Private schools are required to conduct a fire drill
at least once every month. If a paid fire department is maintained in the area,
the school must request a representative to attend and offer instruction and
constructive criticism. Wyo. Stat. § 35-9-505.
It is illegal to operate a commercial oil field waste disposal facility within
one mile of a private school without the school's consent. Wyo. Stat. § 35-11-306
(a) (ii).
Home Schooling: A home-based education program is instruction
provided to a child by the child?s parent or legal guardian or by a person
designated by the parent or legal guardian. Instruction provided to more than
one family unit does not constitute a home-based educational program. Wyo.
Stat. ? 21-4-101(a)(iii).
Home-based educational programs shall provide for " a sequentially progressive
curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, civics,
history, literature, and science ". There is not a requirement for the inclusion
of any concept, topic, or practice in conflict with the religious doctrines
of the parents nor any prohibition against excluding from its curriculum any
concept, topic, or practice consistent with the religious doctrines of the
parents. Wyo. Stat. ? 21-4-101(a)(vi).
It is the responsibility of every person administering a home-based education
program to submit a curriculum to the local board of trustees each year showing
that the program complies with the requirements of the law. Failure to comply
is evidence that the home-based program does not comply with the requirements
of the law. Wyo. Stat. § 21-4-102(b).
Public Aid for Private Schools/Private School Students: The
Wyoming Constitution prohibits appropriations from the public school fund for
any private school, or school controlled by a church or sectarian organization
or religious denomination. Wyoming Const. Art. 7, § 8.
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