Why file the Private School Affidavit?
The information provided in the Private School Affidavit (PSA) is used annually to create the California Department of Education (CDE) online Private School Directory (Directory). This information is reported to the federal Department of Education as one basis for the annual No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) grant to California schools. Private non-profit schools listed in the Directory will be reported to public school districts as private schools eligible for NCLB services and resources. Private schools that do not file a PSA during the filing period may not be included in the Directory and therefore may not be listed for participation in NCLB.
Filing of this affidavit shall not be interpreted to mean, and it shall be unlawful for any school to expressly or impliedly represent by any means whatsoever, that the State of California, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, the California Department of Education, or any division or bureau of the Department, or any accrediting agency has made any evaluation, recognition, approval, or endorsement of the school or course unless this is an actual fact (California Education Code Section 33190). See Selected California Education Codes pertaining to private elementary or high schools.
Filing an affidavit does not mean that the State of California or any accrediting agency has granted a license or authorization to operate a school.
Who Should File a Private School Affidavit?
Persons, firms, associations, partnerships, or corporations offering or conducting full-time day school at the elementary or high school level for students between the ages of six and eighteen years should file the Affidavit. California certified nonpublic, nonsectarian schools located in California should also file the PSA.
Filing the Online Affidavit Form
Schools with five or fewer students may file the Private School Affidavit for the 2008-09 school year using the link below.
California Education Code Section 33190 states that the Private School Affidavit should be filed annually between October 1 and October 15. Schools filing after October 15 are considered late filers. Schools with six or more students that file after January 15 will not appear in the Private School Directory. Non-profit private schools with six or more students that are NCLB-eligible and file after March 15 will not appear in the Private School List on page four of the Consolidated Application, Part 1.
Questions about filing after January 15 should be directed to the Elementary Education Office at 916-319-0839. Questions about Affidavit filing deadlines can also be e-mailed to privateschools@cde.ca.gov.
To assure timely entry of information and participation of eligible private schools in NCLB services and programs, filing should be completed between October 1 and October 15.
Schools with Five or Fewer Students
(Schools with Five or Fewer Students)
Does not meet filing criteria. Return to Private Schools home page
