For founders

How can I run a microschool in Nevada?

Nevada recognizes 7 canonical operator models. Each has different legal compliance pathways, capital requirements, and family relationships. Choose the one that fits your team. You can change later, but the legal mechanics differ enough that the choice shapes facility planning and scholarship eligibility.

Independent Private School

Viable

A secular K-12 microschool must be LICENSED by the Nevada State Board of Education under NRS 394.251. Minimum standards are set by NRS 394.241, required subjects by NRS 394.130. The Superintendent of Public Instruction inspects at licensing and renewal. License terms are 2 years initially, with longer terms (up to 4 years) available after a prior license of 4+ years. Plan licensing timeline into your opening schedule — this is a true licensing regime, not a notice filing.

Top requirements

Form business entity with the Nevada Secretary of State at https://www.nvsos.gov/sos/businesses.
Register for state tax with the Nevada Department of Taxation. Nevada has NO state income tax, but Modified Business Tax (payroll) and Commerce Tax (revenue over $4M annually) may apply depending on entity type and revenue.
Apply for a private elementary or secondary school license under NRS 394.251 with the Nevada State Board of Education — review covers minimum standards per NRS 394.241 and required subjects per NRS 394.130.

Watch for

Do NOT confuse NRS 394 K-12 licensing (State Board of Education) with the Commission on Postsecondary Education's NRS 394 licensing of postsecondary institutions. K-12 license applications are submitted to the State Board of Education, not the Commission.
Nevada does NOT accredit private schools. Voluntary accreditation through Cognia, WASC, or the Association of Christian Schools International improves credit transfer and is often required for SEVP F-1 certification.

Homeschool Cooperative

Viable

A shared-resource model where families retain full legal responsibility for their children's education under Nevada's homeschool statute (NRS 388D.020). You provide programming, space, and support; each family independently files the one-time Notice of Intent with their resident school district and maintains their own educational plan.

Top requirements

Form business entity with the Nevada Secretary of State (LLC recommended for liability separation).
Structure operations as a shared resource for homeschooling families, NOT as a school. Families retain full legal responsibility under NRS 388D.020.
Maintain clear written agreements documenting that each family files its own NOI and retains its own educational plan.

Watch for

Do not market as a "school" or refer to participants as "enrolled students." Use co-op, learning community, or shared homeschool resource language.
Nevada homeschool families are NOT eligible for Opportunity Scholarship Program funds — the program funds tuition at participating private schools only. Families using your co-op as a homeschool resource cannot apply Opportunity Scholarship dollars to your fees.

Certified Tutor Practice

Not viable

Nevada does NOT provide a stand-alone certified-tutor exemption to compulsory attendance. NRS 392.070 recognizes only two private-setting satisfiers: enrollment in a private school under NRS chapter 394 (licensed or religious-exempt), or homeschooling under NRS 388D.020. Operating as a "tutor" does not create a separate pathway.

Religious Community School

Viable

A congregation-connected model that operates as a private school under the religious-organization exemption at NRS 394.211. A school "operated by a bona fide religious organization" may file an exemption from NRS chapter 394 licensing with the State Board of Education. The exemption takes the school outside the NRS 394.251 licensing regime, but the exemption itself must be filed, inspection still occurs, and parents of enrolled students must be given written notice of the school's exempt status.

Top requirements

Confirm the school is operated by a bona fide religious organization (church, diocese, synagogue, mosque, religious nonprofit, etc.) — this is the gating condition for NRS 394.211 eligibility.
File the NRS 394.211 exemption notice with the Nevada State Board of Education identifying the school, its governance, location, and general curriculum.
Provide parents of enrolled students with written notice that the school is exempt from the licensing requirements of NRS chapter 394.

Watch for

The NRS 394.211 exemption is ONLY available to schools operated by a bona fide religious organization — it is NOT available to a secular school that teaches religious content or to an independent religious-affinity school without a sponsoring religious organization. A secular school with faith-adjacent curriculum must still obtain a full NRS 394.251 license.
If the church operates a program serving children under compulsory age (under 6), child care licensing under NRS chapter 432A applies.

Childcare Preschool Program

Viable

A pre-compulsory-age model for children under age 6 (Nevada's compulsory attendance age under NRS 392.040 is 6 through 18) licensed through the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health Child Care Licensing Program under NRS chapter 432A and NAC chapter 432A.

Top requirements

Regulated by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) Child Care Licensing Program under NRS chapter 432A and NAC chapter 432A.
License types: Child Care Center, Family Child Care Home (5 or fewer unrelated children, including the provider's own children), Group Family Child Care Home (6-12 children with additional qualified staff).
In Clark County and Washoe County, local licensing authorities (Clark County Social Service and Washoe County Child Care Licensing) handle day-to-day licensing under delegation from DPBH.

Watch for

Child care licensing is a different regulatory universe than K-12 private schools. Licensing fees, staff ratios, facility inspections, and ongoing training requirements apply.
Clark County and Washoe County process child care licenses differently from the rest of the state — verify which authority applies to your location before starting the application.

Hybrid University Model

Viable

A part-time program model where families file homeschool NOIs under NRS 388D.020 and participate in your program 2-3 days per week, with parents delivering curriculum on non-site days. The family remains the legally responsible homeschooler; your program is a supplemental instructional resource.

Top requirements

Same as Homeschool Cooperative: families file their own NOI under NRS 388D.020 and retain their own educational plan.
Operate 2-3 days per week at the program site with families handling the remaining instructional days.
Clearly document the split-schedule arrangement in family agreements.

Watch for

Same cautions as Homeschool Cooperative — do not issue school-style records or present as the child's primary school.
If the program expands to 4-5 days per week or takes over full curricular responsibility, reclassify as Independent Private School and apply for an NRS 394.251 license (or NRS 394.211 exemption if operated by a religious organization).

Umbrella School Satellite

Viable

A satellite model operating under the license or religious-exemption of an established Nevada private school. The umbrella school holds the NRS 394.251 license (or NRS 394.211 exemption) and retains regulatory responsibility; the satellite operates under the umbrella's name and standards via a formal affiliation agreement.

Top requirements

Operate under an existing Nevada private school (preferably accredited) via a formal written agreement.
The umbrella school retains the NRS 394.251 license (secular) or NRS 394.211 exemption (religious) and compliance responsibility; the satellite operates under the umbrella's name and standards.
Form business entity with Nevada Secretary of State for the satellite operation (if separate from the umbrella).

Watch for

Rare arrangement in Nevada. Most licensed private schools do not offer satellite agreements because they assume the regulatory liability for the satellite.
Legal structure must be clear: is the satellite a separate entity under contract, or a branch of the umbrella school? Tax, liability, and insurance implications differ.

For families

What programs help families pay for tuition?

Nevada funds private school tuition through 1 state program.

Tax-Credit Scholarships

100%

$7M annual cap

Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program (Opportunity Scholarship)

OpportunityScholarship

Nevada's scholarship-funding program authorized under NRS 388D.250 through 388D.280. Businesses receive a credit against the Nevada Modified Business Tax (NRS 363A.139) and the Nevada Commerce Tax (NRS 363B.119) for donations to approved Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs), which fund need-based scholarships to eligible K-12 students attending participating private schools. For FY2026 and FY2027, the statewide aggregate tax-credit cap is $6,655,000. The maximum per-student scholarship for the 2025-2026 school year is $10,094. Scholarship-granting organizations may retain up to 5% of donations for administrative costs. Families below 300% of federal poverty guidelines are eligible.

Family eligibility (3 criteria)

Student household income at or below 300% of federal poverty guidelines.
Student must be eligible to enroll in a Nevada public elementary or secondary school.
Preference given to renewing scholarship students; new-student awards depend on available funds after renewals.

School eligibility (4 criteria)

Private school must be operating in Nevada in compliance with NRS chapter 394 — either licensed under NRS 394.251 or exempt as a bona fide religious organization under NRS 394.211.
Meet the nonpublic-school participation requirements at NRS 388D.270, including: fiscal soundness; at least one year of operation OR a performance bond; compliance with federal nondiscrimination requirements.
Administer a nationally norm-referenced achievement test annually to scholarship students in grades 3 and above and report results to the SGO.
Scholarship payments are paid directly from the SGO to the participating school, not to families.

Family-side compliance

How families satisfy compulsory attendance

Nevada recognizes 2 legal pathways for families to satisfy compulsory attendance. The pathway determines who's legally on the hook (your microschool, the parent, or both) and shapes the operator model you should use.

Private School

NRS 392.070(1); NRS chapter 394 (NRS 394.211, 394.241, 394.251)

A child satisfies compulsory attendance by enrollment in a private school operating under NRS chapter 394. Nevada's private-school framework has two tracks. Secular K-12 private schools must hold a license issued by the State Board of Education under NRS 394.251 — the Board reviews minimum standards per NRS 394.241, required subjects per NRS 394.130, and inspects at licensing and renewal. Schools operated by a bona fide religious organization may instead file an exemption under NRS 394.211, which takes them outside the licensing regime but still requires filing the exemption with the State Board and permits inspection. Families satisfy compulsory attendance by enrolling in either a licensed school or an exempt religious school — the school itself is the legally responsible educational entity.

Home Instruction

NRS 392.070(2); NRS 388D.020

A parent may homeschool the child to satisfy compulsory attendance. The parent files a ONE-TIME written Notice of Intent (NOI) with the superintendent of schools of the resident district — not annual. The NOI includes the child's name, age, and gender, the parent's name and address, a signed statement assuming responsibility for education, an educational plan per NRS 388D.050, and (if applicable) the prior school. Under NRS 388D.020(5), the superintendent MUST accept a conforming NOI and may NOT require additional information. No standardized testing, no teacher-qualification requirement, no annual renewal, and no outside educational-plan review under current law. A microschool supporting these families is NOT the legally responsible party.

Licensing triggers

When does Nevada require a state license?

Nevada imposes 4 state license requirements that may apply to your microschool. Most general microschools never trigger them.

Operating a secular K-12 private elementary or secondary school

NRS 394.251 (license); NRS 394.241 (minimum standards); NRS 394.130 (required subjects)

Obtain a private elementary or secondary school license from the Nevada State Board of Education BEFORE operating. Application reviewed against the minimum standards at NRS 394.241 and required-subject list at NRS 394.130. Superintendent of Public Instruction inspects at license and renewal. Initial license term is 2 years; licenses can extend to 4-year terms after a prior 4+ year license. Do NOT confuse with the Commission on Postsecondary Education's licensing of postsecondary institutions — K-12 licensing is handled by the State Board of Education.

Operating a K-12 school as a bona fide religious organization seeking exemption from NRS 394 licensing

NRS 394.211

File an exemption with the Nevada State Board of Education declaring the school is operated by a bona fide religious organization. Provide written notice to parents of enrolled students that the school is exempt from NRS chapter 394 licensing. Inspection authority is preserved under the exemption. The exemption is NOT a license and does NOT apply to secular schools teaching religious content without a bona fide religious organization sponsor.

Operating a child care center, family child care home, or preschool for children under age 6 (pre-compulsory)

NRS chapter 432A and NAC chapter 432A

License or certification required from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health Child Care Licensing Program (or the delegated Clark County Social Service or Washoe County Child Care Licensing authorities). License types: Child Care Center, Family Child Care Home (≤5 unrelated children), Group Family Child Care Home (6-12 children with additional staff). Pre-licensing training, background checks, TB testing, and facility inspection apply.

Participating in the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship (Opportunity Scholarship) Program

NRS 388D.270

Must be operating as a Nevada private school in compliance with NRS chapter 394 (licensed under NRS 394.251 or religious-exempt under NRS 394.211); have been in operation at least one year OR post a performance bond; maintain fiscal soundness; comply with federal nondiscrimination requirements; administer an annual nationally norm-referenced achievement test to scholarship students in grades 3 and above; report results to the SGO.

Ready to plan your Nevada microschool?

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Verification

Primary sources

Every claim on this page traces to a primary source. The full list of state code sections, regulatory citations, and government program pages cited:

All sources cited (15)

Microschool laws in Nevada

How can I run a microschool in Nevada?

Independent Private School

Top requirements

Watch for

Homeschool Cooperative

Top requirements

Watch for

Certified Tutor Practice

Religious Community School

Top requirements

Watch for

Childcare Preschool Program

Top requirements

Watch for

Hybrid University Model

Top requirements

Watch for

Umbrella School Satellite

Top requirements

Watch for

What programs help families pay for tuition?

Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program (Opportunity Scholarship)

How families satisfy compulsory attendance

Private School

Home Instruction

When does Nevada require a state license?

Operating a secular K-12 private elementary or secondary school

Operating a K-12 school as a bona fide religious organization seeking exemption from NRS 394 licensing

Operating a child care center, family child care home, or preschool for children under age 6 (pre-compulsory)

Participating in the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship (Opportunity Scholarship) Program

Ready to plan your Nevada microschool?

Primary sources