Annual Reporting Requirements

Keep your school data current with the State Board of Education

Receiving communication from SBE and OSPI requires that private school data is current in their systems. If your Head of School, location, or additional contact has changed since you submitted your previous year’s Private School Approval Application, please visit How to Update Private School Information | SBE (wa.gov)

Private School Requirements by WA State Law

The Washington State Legislature established that private schools should be subject only to those minimum state controls necessary to ensure the health and safety of students and that a sufficient basic education is met by graduation requirements. RCW 28A.195.010 outlines the minimum requirements and exemptions that all private schools K12 schools must follow. The State Board of Education is tasked with tracking these requirements by the legislature and provided clarification of the Teacher Certification Requirement for Private Schools in 2023.

Academic Year Requirements for Private Schools

Washington private schools need to provide 180 days or 1000 hours of education for their students.

To learn more about how Washington defines a school day, go here: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=392-121-033

Private schools are required to submit reports each year to comply with Washington state law.

Enrollment and staffing report collects the October student count by school for PreK-12th grade private schools. Submitted through an online portal, typically mid-October through mid-November each year.
Immunization reporting through the Department of Health begins on November 1 and closes on December 1 each academic year.
Annual approval is through the State Board of Education each spring, typically in March.
Private school participation in Federal Programs through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) opens in mid-March and closes in April. Contact the Equitable Services in Federal Programs Ombuds Julie Chace or Shelia Gerrish with questions.
The legislature requires an Annual Weapons Report to be filed using OSPI’s Education Data System (EDS) portal after the last day of school each year. The EDS portal will open for private schools from June 1 – July 31. Look for an email to be sent to all schools from the State in late-May.

EDS Access

In order to fulfill OSPI reporting requirements, private schools will need to use the Educational Data System (EDS). For instructions on how to gain access or receive a particular user role, please visit the EDS access page.

Clock Hour Provider Application

The Professional Certification Office at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) requires an annual application to become an approved Clock Hour Provider for the subsequent school year.

Agencies are approved as clock hour providers once a year, and they must apply annually by August 1 to become approved clock hour providers by PESB. No extensions are granted.
For agencies that have received approval from PESB, this timeline runs from October 1 to September 30 of the coming year (There are no means to add a clock hour provider or clock hours retroactively).
There is no fee for agencies to seek approval as a clock hour provider.
Application and complete information https://ospi.k12.wa.us/educator-support/continuing-education-clock-hours/become-approved-provider

Fingerprinting and Background Checks

WA State law authorizes approved private schools to require their employees to get a full background check through the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Schools can get this done for existing and new hires through the ESDs. Many private schools do this for every employee every 3-5 years and for all new hires.

Mandatory rules for posting information regarding sexual abuse

Effective July 2019, RCW 26.44.030 requires that schools in WA State must display the poster about Child Abuse in a “common area” at the 8×11.5″ size. Here is the English version pdf. The poster provides specific information about:

Who is required to report child abuse and neglect
The standard of knowledge to justify reporting
The definition of reportable crimes
Where to report
What should be included in a report with appropriate timing

Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect

Resources on the DCYF (Department of Children Youth and Families) website are connected to Child Protective Services, which is the office that teachers/staff would need to call. https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/safety/report-abuse

School Health Care Support

The DOH School Module is an online registry of immunization records available to all public and private schools for FREE. The system is secure and easy to use for tracking student school-level immunization information. Here is a list of schools already using the School Module. If your school is not a current user and you are interested in getting access or have a question about the School Module, please email schoolmodule@doh.wa.gov.

June 21st, 2024, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) released the Infectious Disease Control Guide for School Staff (IDCG). This guide was created for schools in Washington state by DOH and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to help staff of kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) districts and schools prevent and respond to infectious disease.

School Security Personnel on Campus

Here are the laws on who can be on your campus and act as security. There is a lot of information in the various RCWs. The training for School Resource Officers refers to public schools but is considered best practices, so likely this is what an insurance provider will expect.

WA guidance during Wildfires, Smoke, and Extreme Heat

In June 2023, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released a revised edition of the Washington Children and Youth Activities Guide for Air Quality. The revised guide and other resources are on DOH’s Smoke from Fires Took Kit Page.

Other websites that show risk levels:

https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ (interactive map/blog)
Washington Air Quality Map
NWS HeatRisk forecasts risk of heat-related impacts to occur over a 24-hour period. Input your town or address to determine their threat level.
Wildfire Smoke & Closing School Activities

Best practices to prevent heat-related illness:

Minimize the time in unshaded and paved areas from mid-day through late afternoon as temperatures rise.
Check for signs of heat exhaustion, and provide cool water and shaded areas.
Plan additional regular breaks and rest periods to prevent overexertion in hot weather conditions.
If you have bus drivers and other outside staff, you need to offer PPE when the smoke particulate numbers are high.
Advise sensitive groups to stay home when risk prediction is high.

Employer Responsibility for Worker Safety during Heat and Smoke

In 2024, L&I adopted Wildfire Smoke Rules and created sample training plans and templates that you can customize to meet these requirements. https://Lni.wa.gov/WildfireSmoke

WA School Bus Driver Rules

Washington State law requires that anyone driving a school bus must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) Class B or C (depending on the size of the school bus) with a CLP-S – School Bus Endorsement. Please review the OSPI School Bus Driver Handbook for all details. WAC 392-143-010 defines “School bus” to mean every vehicle with a seating capacity of more than ten persons, including the driver, regularly used to transport students to and from school or in connection with school activities.