1. C.R.S. 22-33-104. School Attendance Law makes school attendance at a public school compulsory unless the child “is enrolled for a minimum of one hundred seventy-two days in an independent or parochial school which provides a basic academic education” or “is being instructed at home.” “Basic academic education” for the purpose of this article shall mean “the sequential program of instruction provided by an independent or parochial school. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science.” Provision for the enforcement of the compulsory attendance law is found in C.R.S. 22-33-107 and 22-33-108 which charges the local school district with the responsibility “to enforce the provisions of this article which relate to compulsory attendance.” Neither the State Board of Education nor any local board of education has jurisdiction over the internal affairs of any nonstate, independent, or parochial school in this state. 2. C.R.S. 22-1-114. Statements from private schools. “Whenever requested by the board of education of the school district in which a private school is located, if not more often than once per month, the person or corporation in charge and control of any school other than a public school shall certify in writing, and if so requested, upon forms or blanks furnished by the said school district for that purpose, a statement containing the name, age, place of residence, and number of days of attendance at school during the preceding month or since the preceding report of all children of school age who then are or since the preceding report have been attending any such school.” 3. C.R.S. 25-1-107(1)(m). The school must meet health standards. Contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80222, Phone: (303) 692-3620. (NOTE: If a non-public school exists in some county other than Denver County, the county office of the Colorado Department of Health should be contacted.) 4. A building being used by a non-public school must meet local building codes, zoning requirements, and fire safety standards. Non-public school officials have the responsibility to check with the local city and/or county on these matters. 5. Instruction Required 22-33-104 (2) (b) C.R.S. requires that a sequential program of instruction be provided by an independent or parochial school. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science. 22-1-108 and 22-1-109 C.R.S. requires the United States Constitution to be studied. Instruction shall begin no later than the seventh grade and continue in high school. The Colorado Department of Education does not mandate a prescribed set of adopted textbooks, approved curriculum, or course of study for public or non-public schools. Home Study and Non-Public Schools The School Attendance Law (Article 33 of Title 22, C.R.S.) distinguishes between non-public schools and home study. Home study is permitted in Colorado under this law. Non-public schools are required to provide a basic academic education, but are protected from untoward interference by any board of education, state or local. Ref: Colorado Department of Education Website

22-33-104.5. Home-based education – legislative declaration – definitions – guidelines.

1. The general assembly hereby declares that it is the primary right and obligation of the parent to choose the proper education and training for children under his care and supervision. It is recognized that home-based education is a legitimate alternative to classroom attendance for the instruction of children and that any regulation of nonpublic home-based educational programs should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate a variety of circumstances. The general assembly further declares that nonpublic home-based educational programs shall be subject only to minimum state controls which are currently applicable to other forms of nonpublic education.

2. As used in this section:

(a) “Nonpublic home-based educational program” means the sequential program of instruction for the education of a child which takes place in a home, which is provided by the child’s parent or by an adult relative of the child designated by the parent, and which is not under the supervision and control of a school district. This educational program is not intended to be and does not qualify as a private and nonprofit school.

(b) “Parent” includes a parent or guardian.

(c) “Qualified person” means an individual who is selected by the parent of a child who is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program to evaluate such child’s progress and who is a teacher licensed pursuant to article 60.5 of this title, a teacher who is employed by an independent or parochial school, a licensed psychologist, or a person with a graduate degree in education.

3. The following guidelines shall apply to a nonpublic home-based educational program:

(a) A parent or an adult relative designated by a parent to provide instruction in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall not be subject to the requirements of the “Colorado Educator Licensing Act of 1991”, article 60.5 of this title, nor to the provisions of article 61 of this title relating to teacher employment.

(b) A child who is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall not be subject to compulsory school attendance as provided in this article; except that any child who is habitually truant, as defined in section 22-33-107 (3), at any time during the last six months that the child attended school before proposed enrollment in a nonpublic home-based educational program may not be enrolled in the program unless the child’s parents first submit a written description of the curricula to be used in the program along with the written notification of establishment of the program required in paragraph (e) of subsection (3) to any school district within the state.

(c) A nonpublic home-based educational program shall include no less than one hundred seventy-two days of instruction, averaging four instructional contact hours per day.

(d) A nonpublic home-based educational program shall include, but need not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States as provided in section 22-1-108.

(e) Any parent establishing a nonpublic home-based educational program shall provide written notification of the establishment of said program to a school district within the state fourteen days prior to the establishment of said program and each year thereafter if the program is maintained. The parent in charge and in control of a nonpublic home-based educational program shall certify, in writing, only a statement containing the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child enrolled in said program. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 22-33-104 (1), a parent who intends to establish a nonpublic home-based education program is not required to:

I. Provide written notification of the program to a school district within the state until the parent’s child is six years of age;

II. Establish the program until the parent’s child is seven years of age; or

III. Continue the program or provide the notification after the child is sixteen years of age.

(f) Each child participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall be evaluated when such child reaches grades three, five, seven, nine, and eleven. Each child shall be given a nationally standardized achievement test* to evaluate the child’s academic progress, or a qualified person shall evaluate the child’s academic progress. The test or evaluation results, whichever is appropriate, shall be submitted to the school district that received the notification required by paragraph (e) of this subsection 3 or an independent or parochial school within the state of Colorado. If the test or evaluation results are submitted to an independent or parochial school, the name of such school shall be provided to the school district that received the notification required by paragraph (e) of this subsection 3. The purpose of such tests or evaluations shall be to evaluate the educational progress of each child. No scores for a child participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall be considered in measuring school performance or determining accreditation pursuant to article 11 of this title.

(g) The records of each child participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall be maintained on a permanent basis by the parent in charge and in control of said program. The records shall include, but need not be limited to, attendance data, test and evaluation results, and immunization records, as required by sections 25-4-901, 25-4-902, and 25-4-903, C.R.S. Such records shall be produced to the school district that received the notification required by paragraph (e) of this subsection (3) upon fourteen days’ written notice if the superintendent of said school district has probable cause to believe that said program is not in compliance with the guidelines established in this subsection (3).

4. Any child who has participated in a nonpublic home-based educational program and who subsequently enrolls in the public school system may be tested by the school district for the purpose of placing the child in the proper grade and shall then be placed at the grade level deemed most appropriate by said school district, with the consent of the child’s parent or legal guardian. The school district shall accept the transcripts for credit from non-public home-based educational program for any such child; except that the school district may reject such transcripts if the school district administers testing to such child and the testing does not verify the accuracy of such transcripts.

5. (a) I. If test results submitted to the appropriate school district pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of this section show that a child participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program received a composite score on said test which was above the thirteenth percentile, such child shall continue to be exempt from the compulsory school attendance requirement of this article. If the child’s composite score on said test is at or below the thirteenth percentile, the school district shall require the parents to place said child in a public or independent or parochial school until the next testing period; except that no action shall be taken until the child is given the opportunity to be retested using an alternate version of the same test or a different nationally standardized achievement test selected by the parent from a list of approved tests supplied by the state board.

II. If evaluation results submitted to the appropriate school district pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of this section show that the child is making sufficient academic progress according to the child’s ability, the child will continue to be exempt from the compulsory school attendance requirement of this article. If the evaluation results show that the child is not making sufficient academic progress, the school district shall require the child’s parents to place the child in a public or independent or parochial school until the next testing period.

(b) If the child’s test or evaluation results are submitted to an independent or parochial school, said school shall notify the school district that received the notification pursuant to paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of this section if the composite score on said test was at or below the thirteenth percentile or if the evaluation results show that the child is not making sufficient academic progress. The school district shall then require the parents to proceed in the manner specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection 5.

6. (a) If a child is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program but also attending a public school for a portion of the school day, the school district of the public school shall be entitled to count such child in accordance with the provisions of section 22-54-103 (10) for purposes of determining pupil enrollment under the “Public School Finance Act of 1994”, article 54 of this title.

(b) I. For purposes of this subsection 6, a child who is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall have the same rights as a student enrolled in a public school of the school district in which the child resides or is enrolled and may participate on an equal basis in any extracurricular or interscholastic activity offered by a public school or offered by a private school, at the private school’s discretion, as provided in section 22-32-116.5 and is subject to the same rules of any interscholastic organization or association of which the student’s school of participation is a member.

II. (A) Except as provided for in sub-subparagraph (B) of this subparagraph (II), for purposes of section 22-32-116.5, the school district of attendance for a child who is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program shall be deemed to be the school district that received the notification pursuant to paragraph (e) of subsection (3) of this section.

(B) For purposes of section 22-32-116.5, the school district of attendance for a child who withdraws from a public or private school more than fifteen days after the start of the school year and enters a non-public home-based educational program shall be the school district or private school from which the child withdrew for the remainder of that school year. If, during the remainder of that academic year, the child chooses to participate in extracurricular or interscholastic activities at the same school and was eligible for participation prior to withdrawing from the school, the child remains eligible to participate at such school.

(c) No child participating in an extracurricular or interscholastic activity pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection (6) shall be considered attending the public school district where the child participates in such activity for purposes of determining pupil enrollment under paragraph (a) of this subsection (6).

(d) As used in this subsection (6), “extracurricular or interscholastic activities” shall have the same meaning as “activity” as set forth in section 22-32-116.5 (10).

(e) If any fee is collected pursuant to this subsection (6) for participation in an activity the fee shall be used to fund the particular activity for which it is charged and shall not be expended for any other purpose.

Ref: Colorado Department of Education Website

(1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, every child who has attained the age of six years on or before August 1 of each year and is under the age of seventeen years, except as provided by this section, shall attend public school for at least the following number of hours during each school year:

(I) One thousand fifty-six hours if a secondary school pupil;
(II) Nine hundred sixty-eight hours if an elementary school pupil in a grade other than kindergarten;
(III) Nine hundred hours if a full-day kindergarten pupil; or
(IV) Four hundred fifty hours if a half-day kindergarten pupil.

[…]

(2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to a child:

[…]

(b) Who is enrolled for a minimum of one hundred seventy-two days in an independent or parochial school which provides a basic academic education. “Basic academic education” for the purpose of this article means the sequential program of instruction provided by an independent or parochial school. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science.

[…]

(5) (a) The general assembly hereby declares that two of the most important factors in ensuring a child’s educational development are parental involvement and parental responsibility. The general assembly further declares that it is the obligation of every parent to ensure that every child under such parent’s care and supervision receives adequate education and training. Therefore, every parent of a child who has attained the age of six years on or before August 1 of each year and is under the age of seventeen years shall ensure that such child attends the public school in which such child is enrolled in compliance with this section.

(b) Parents whose children are enrolled in an independent or parochial school or a non-public home-based educational program pursuant to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section shall be exempt from the requirements of this subsection (5).

[…]

ANNOTATIONS

[…]

Exemption of subsection (2) requires only enrollment, not attendance, at independent or parochial school. Legislative change substituting word “enrolled” for word “attends” was clear evidence of intent not to require physical presence at independent or parochial school. Periodic attendance for testing only by students otherwise tutored at home was therefore adequate satisfaction of compulsory attendance statute. People in Interest of D.B., 767 P.2d 801 (Colo. App. 1988).

Ref: C.R.S. 22-33-104

Whenever requested by the board of education of the school district in which a private school is located, if not more often than once per month, the person or corporation in charge and control of any school other than a public school shall certify in writing, and, if so requested, upon forms or blanks furnished by the said school district for that purpose, a statement containing the name, age, place of residence, and number of days of attendance at school during the preceding month or since the preceding report of all children of school age who then are or since the preceding report have been attending any such school.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-1-114

[…]

(2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to a child:

[…]

(b) Who is enrolled for a minimum of one hundred seventy-two days in an independent or parochial school which provides a basic academic education. “Basic academic education” for the purpose of this article means the sequential program of instruction provided by an independent or parochial school. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-33-104

In all public and private schools located within the state of Colorado, there shall be given regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-1-108

Such instruction in the constitution of the United States shall begin not later than the opening of the junior high schools or seventh grade and shall continue in the high school course and in courses in state colleges, universities, and the educational departments of state and municipal institutions to an extent to be determined by the commissioner of education.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-1-109

(1) It is the duty of the governing board of every school district, university, college, or other institution of higher education, and of every person, firm, or organization maintaining any private school, university, college, or other institution of higher education, in this state to provide eye protective devices for the use of all students, teachers, and visitors when participating in the courses and activities enumerated in section 22-3-102.

(2) It is the duty of the persons charged with the supervision of any such course or activity to require such eye protective devices to be worn by students, teachers, and visitors under the circumstances prescribed in section 22-3-102.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-3-101

(1) Eye protective devices shall be worn in courses including, but not limited to, vocational or industrial art shops or laboratories and chemistry, physics, or combined chemistry-physics laboratories, at any time at which the individual is engaged in, or observing, an activity or the use of hazardous substances likely to cause injury to the eyes.

(2) Hazardous substances likely to cause physical injury to the eyes include materials which are flammable, toxic, corrosive to living tissues, irritating, strongly sensitizing, or radioactive or which generate pressure through heat, decomposition, or other means.

(3) Activity or the use of hazardous substances includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) Working with hot molten metal;

(b) Milling, sawing, turning, shaping, cutting, grinding, and stamping of any solid materials;

(c) Heat treating, tempering, or kiln firing of any metal or other materials;

(d) Gas or electric arc welding;

(e) Working with hot liquids, solids, or chemicals which are flammable, toxic, corrosive to living tissues, irritating, sensitizing, or radioactive or which generate pressure through heat, decomposition, or other means.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-3-102

For the purposes of this article, the eye protective devices utilized shall be industrial quality eye protective devices which meet the standards of the U.S.A. standard practice for occupational and educational eye and face protection, Z87.1-1968, and subsequent revisions thereof, approved by the United States of America Standards Institute, Inc.

Ref: C.R.S. 22-3-103