Private and nonpublic schools in Pennsylvania provide the parents of school-age children diverse alternatives to public schools. Private schools are available at all grade levels including nursery/kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools of virtually every educational philosophy and religious denomination. There are also specialty schools for special education and tutoring, as well as private academies and boarding schools. Parents can choose from among more than approximately 3,000 nonpublic and private schools in Pennsylvania.
Explanation of Schools and Services
The responsibility of the Nonpublic and Private School Section is to license private academic schools and register nonpublic nonlicensed schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
There are three types of private schools in Pennsylvania:
- LICENSED PRIVATE ACADEMIC SCHOOLS are licensed and regulated by the State Board of Private Academic Schools, whose rules, regulations, and standards are concerned with quality education, teacher certification, attendance and courses of study, which closely parallel public school requirements. These schools are primarily nonsectarian.
- NONPUBLIC NONLICENSED SCHOOLS are schools owned and operated by bona fide religious institutions. Registration is required of these schools by the Pennsylvania School Code; however, they can choose to be licensed.
- ACCREDITED SCHOOLS are schools that are accredited by accrediting associations approved by the State Board of Education. The purpose of these organizations is to provide schools a measured, recognized means of improving their academic and operational performance. Schools that desire to become accredited must meet prescribed quality standards established by the accrediting organization. The accredited schools are able to participate in the student services provided to the Licensed and Nonpublic Nonlicensed schools.
NOTE: Private school's in Pennsylvania are not required to be Accredited, however, a school can obtain accreditation through an approved accrediting association.
Through Act 89, students attending nonprofit nonpublic schools can access a program of auxiliary services that are similar to those provided to public school students in the school district in which the nonpublic school is located. In addition, Act 195, Act 90 and Act 35 provide textbooks, instructional materials and equipment, loaned free of charge, to students who attend nonpublic schools in grades kindergarten through twelve.