Office of Religious and Independent School Support (ORISS)

Parents and guardians of compulsory school-age children have the legal right to enroll them in nonpublic schools. Nonpublic schools may be either independent/secular or provide religious instruction as part of their curriculum. Parents and guardians may also instruct their school-age children at home and be in compliance with the Compulsory Attendance Law.

Contact the Office of Religious and Independent School Support (ORISS) for assistance with questions related to Non-Public | Private Schools.

NYSED Resources

Handbooks and Manuals

• • Handbook on Services to Pupils Attending Nonpublic Schools (Special Education Section VII Revised September 2007)
  • Manual for New Administrators of Nonpublic Schools
  • Summer School Handbook
  • Religious and Independent School Health Services FAQs

Health Services Information for Non-Public Schools
Education Law 912 requires school districts in NYS to provide resident students who attend nonpublic schools with the same health and welfare services available to students who attend the public schools of the district. This section of the Handbook contains valuable information and a FAQ on the provision of health services for non-public school students. 

Sample Documentation and Contracts for Health Services
When students attending a nonpublic school live in another public school district, the two public school districts must enter into a written contract governing the services to be provided and the reimbursement for such services. This link provides sample contracts and board of education resolutions.  

National Association of School Nurses Private, Independent, and Parochial School Nurse, (PIPSN) School Nurses Special Interest Group
Promotes communication and exchange of ideas among registered nurses who work in private, independent, and parochial schools.  

See Also:

• Guidelines & Memos - Concussion
• Guidelines & Memos - Menstrual Products
• Menstrual Products (feminine hygiene)

Page Updated 11/8/24