Northern Marina Island Regulations

Private Schools

Accreditation, Registration, Licensing, and Approval

• Accreditation: no requirements
• Registration: no requirements
• Licensing: no requirements
• Approval: no requirements

Teacher Certification

• No territory policy currently exists.

Length of School Year and Days

• No territory policy currently exists.

Curriculum

• Legislation exists for a nonpublic elementary and secondary education fund to provide secular educational services for nonpublic students paid for by the superintendent of education. These educational services could include English, reading, social studies, music, mathematics, modern foreign languages, physical science, and physical education. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Code (CNMI Code) Title 3 §1175.

Recordkeeping and Reports

• No territory policy currently exists.

Health and Safety Requirements

• At the first time of enrollment in a nonpublic school, a parent must present proof that a child has received the immunizations required by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Health and Environmental Services. CNMI Code Title 3 §1163.
• Exemptions from the immunization requirement are granted with a physician’s statement that a child is exempt. CNMI Code Title 3 §1164.
• At the time of first enrollment, a parent must provide proof that any child has received vision and hearing tests required by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Health. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Administrative Code (CNMI Admin. Code) §60-20-478(a).

Transportation

• The Northern Mariana Islands Board of Education must provide safe and adequate transportation to registered nonpublic school students who reside beyond a reasonable distance from the school. CNMI Code Title 3 §1152.
• Nothing in Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Code Title 3 Division 1 Chapter 1 Article 7 is to prevent the Department of Education from offering free bussing to nonpublic school students. CNMI Code Title 3 §1178.

Textbooks

• The Northern Mariana Islands Department of Education may offer secular textbook loans to nonpublic schools. CNMI Code Title 3 §1178.

Testing

• No territory policy currently exists.

Special Education

• No territory policy currently exists.

Nursing and Health

• No territory policy currently exists.

Technology

• No territory policy currently exists.

Professional Development

• No territory policy currently exists.

Reimbursement for Performing State and Local Functions

• No territory policy currently exists.

Tax Exemption

• No territory policy currently exists.

Public Aid for Private Education

• Constitutional Provisions: No constitutional provisions currently exist.
• Programs for Financial Assistance for Attendance at Private Schools: No such programs currently exist.

Nonpublic School Advisory Committee

• A nonpublic school advisory committee composed of nonpublic schools principals meets on a monthly basis with the federal programs officer to share updates on the progress of the education of students attending nonpublic schools and to share information and guidance of the federal programs made available to nonpublic schools. Per the CNMI Department of Education.

Home Schools

Home Education Programs

• A parent who wished their child to participate in a home-study program must receive a waiver from the commissioner of education. CNMI Code Title 3 §1141.

Initial and Renewal Applications

• The application for home study must be submitted 60 days prior to the beginning of the school year to the commissioner of education. The application must contain (1) the name, address and telephone number of the parents, student, and if applicable tutor; (2) justification for the program; (3) the curriculum; (4) description and qualifications of the parent or tutor who will instruct and if a hired tutor, his or her police clearance for the past three years; (5) dates and hours of instruction; and (6) if using a hired tutor negative active tuberculosis records for that person. CNMI Admin. Code §60-20-535(a).

Curriculum and Instruction

• A home-study program must consist of 300 minutes of secular instruction each day and operate 180 days a year. CNMI Admin. Code §60-20-535(f)(1).

Assessment and Diplomas

• A home-study program must keep records of attendance, goals, and other information requested by the commissioner of education. Those records will be transferred to the public school to which the student would otherwise be assigned and be kept on file for at least five years. CNMI Admin. Code §60-20-535(d).
• The parent/guardian must submit reports on the progress of the home study program monthly, quarterly, and annually to the Commissioner. CNMI Admin. Code §60-20-535(e).

Special Education

• No territory policy currently exists.

Public School Access

• No territory policy currently exists.

Web Resources

Information and Legislative

• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Code
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Administrative Code

Contact Information – State and Federal Departments of Education

• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System Bwughos St., Susupe
  PO BOX 501370
  Saipan, MP 96950
  Phone: (670) 237-3027
  Fax: (670) 664-3711
  Website: http://www.cnmipss.org/
• U.S. Department of Education, Northern Mariana Islands