Opening A Nonpublic or Private School

The Nonpublic School Approval Office frequently receives calls from people interested in opening a nonpublic or private school in New Hampshire. The minimum requirements for nonpublic schools are set forth in the NH Code of Administrative Rules, Ed 400, Approval of Nonpublic Schools. Anyone interested in opening a school should first contact the office at (603) 271-2634.

• Applicable forms

As part of the initial application available on this website, the Department of Education requires that a new school meet the local fire, health, and zoning requirements, and applicable state and federal requirements.

While our office does not have a sample of a completed application to provide to potential school directors, we are more than happy to meet with potential schools to provide assistance throughout the process.

Child care providers offering a kindergarten class, but NOT a first grade class, must seek approval from the NH Health and Human Services' Child Care Licensing Bureau. The NH Child Care Program Licensing Rules, Chapter He-C 4002 can be found by scrolling through Chapter He-C 4001.

Given the multitude of factors that a person may need to consider when opening a new school or business, our office highly recommends that schools visit the official New Hampshire government website at https://www.nh.gov/business. The site provides links to the New Hampshire Business Resource Center, a division of the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development.