"free" school?

Question

i'm seriously considering looking into starting a "free" school in my area.

does anyone have any experience with this, or know where i would need to begin for opening a private school? the closest one in my area is 3 hours away. i haven't yet started the research on it because i know i'm looking at some serious research, so any beginning helpful tips before i dive in would be greatly appreciated!

thanks!

Answer 1

You are a wonderful person, to want to offer that.   Is it going to be in your own house?  I hope you are in a state with easy homeschooling laws, check here first  http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1

All the moms would have to help teach and buy their own workbooks that are the same.  They would probably donate learning games and materials that they're finished with, from their older kids.  But there is a limit to how many kids you can teach in your house that aren't your own (its around 6?).  But it would be O.K. if the moms were all teaching their own kids.  That would be great for socialization and less stressful on the kids if it was only 2 days a week.  But, it couldn't be like a Charter school, unless you don't mind grading all that homework or had help.

Maybe a church could let you use their facilities cheaper, but it wouldn't be free.  Although there might be a lot of retired church volunteers who could help.  Great idea, good luck with that.

Answer 2

It takes a LOT of work to start, and maintain a school.  If you make it totally free, you're going to have to think of funding sources.

If you just want to teach/lead homeschool students, then you should start an academic cooperative (co-op).  I'm on the steering committee for ours and we cannot do it for free, even with all the required volunteer hours from parents.  We have to charge a building fee to the church we use, charge students for supplies, and pay the teachers a minimal income (not all are HS'ing parents - some are professionals in the community).

There are state laws about private schools that would apply to you.  Also, you usually cannot maintain a "business" in your residence.

There are *no* private schools within 3 hours of you??  Not even a church-sponsored school?  That just seems unreal, unless you live in the boonies in Utah, Wyoming, or Nevada...or some similar, sparsely-populated state.

I would start your research at your state's board of education.

Answer 3

Well I homeschool my daughter and it is free. I use a website called www.flvs.net. Its Florida Virtual School. It is free to students that live in the state of Florida. However people from outsides can take courses as well but at a discount price. The program is accrediated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. And once you complete the courses you recieve a transcript. Hope this helps.