Microschool laws in Washington

A SBE-approved private school model under RCW 28A.195. The school assumes full legal responsibility for enrolled students and must meet all six statutory minimum requirements, including teacher certification (WA certificate or alternative approved credential). Annual Certificate of Compliance renewal filed with the State Board of Education at least 90 days before the start of the school term (WAC 180-90-130). This is a more rigorous regulatory environment than many states but remains achievable for microschools.

A shared-resource model where families operate under RCW 28A.200 home-based instruction. Each family files an annual Declaration of Intent, meets parent qualification requirements, teaches the 11 required subjects for the required hours, and completes annual assessment. Your cooperative provides space, curriculum support, and enrichment but does not assume compliance responsibility. Washington's home-based instruction statute allows the parent to be "supervised by a certificated person" — a cooperative staffed by a Washington-certificated teacher can serve as that supervisor, enabling parents who lack the 45-credit or home-instruction course qualification to participate.

Washington does not provide a stand-alone certified-tutor exemption from compulsory attendance. RCW 28A.225.010 recognizes only approved private school attendance or home-based instruction. A solo Washington-certificated teacher can supervise home-based instruction under RCW 28A.200.020, but the parent remains the legally responsible educator; this is not a distinct tutor pathway. Structure as Independent Private School (if full-time) or as a certificated-supervisor role within a Homeschool Cooperative.

A faith-integrated private school under RCW 28A.195. Religious schools must meet the same six minimum requirements as secular private schools (teacher certification, hours, curriculum, records, health/safety, policy statement) and submit annual Certificate of Compliance to SBE at least 90 days before the school term starts (WAC 180-90-130). Religious curriculum is permitted alongside the required curriculum subjects; there is no state curriculum review beyond coverage of the required subjects.

A pre-compulsory-age program (children under 8, the Washington compulsory attendance floor) licensed by the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) under WAC 110-300. Two main license types: Family Home Early Learning Program (12 or fewer children ages 0-11 in a residence) and Child Care Center Early Learning Program (children ages 0-12 at a commercial facility, less than 24 hours/day). School-age programs for children 5-12 outside school hours also require licensing.

A part-time model where families file home-based instruction Declarations of Intent under RCW 28A.200 and send their children to your facility 2-3 days per week. Families remain the legally responsible educators; parent qualification, subject coverage, hours, and annual assessment all remain family-level responsibilities. A Washington-certificated teacher on your staff can serve as the "certificated person" supervising the parent's home instruction (RCW 28A.200.020(1)(a)), which streamlines parent qualification.

Washington has no statutory umbrella-school framework. Because approved private schools must meet individual SBE certification annually (RCW 28A.195), and because home-based instruction already permits direct parent operation with certificated-person supervision, umbrella-school arrangements are rare and offer no regulatory advantage. A school can open multiple campuses, but each campus generally requires its own SBE approval record, local zoning, and inspection.