1 · Legal foundation
- Form your legal entity (LLC or nonprofit).
- Get an EIN and open a business bank account.
- Decide your model: private school, co-op, or homeschool-serving program.
2 · Building & safety
- Confirm local zoning and occupancy allow a school at your location.
- Pass fire-safety / occupancy requirements with your city or county.
- Bind liability + abuse/molestation insurance.
- Complete background checks for everyone working with children.
3 · Enrollment & records
- Write an enrollment agreement and tuition policy.
- Set up immunization records and attendance tracking.
- Choose one place to keep documents, audit-ready, with renewal reminders.
4 · Get funded (ESA / scholarships)
- Learn how scholarship money reaches schools in your state.
- Complete any required state registration (e.g., FLDOE in Florida).
- Register / connect with the funding platform (ClassWallet, Odyssey, Step Up For Students, etc.).
- Set up compliant invoicing so approved families can pay you.
5 · Open
- Set tuition using your real costs and local benchmarks.
- Build a simple enrollment page and start marketing locally.
- Run your readiness check and close the top gaps before day one.
Open your state's step-by-step guide →
General educational guidance, not legal advice. Requirements vary by state and change over time — always confirm with official state sources before acting.