Establishing an Independent School

• This policy applies to all proposed new schools wishing to receive certification as a B.C. independent school. All entities offering schooling to 10 or more students, with the exception of the exempted entities described in Section 19(1) of the Independent School Act are required to apply for certification as an independent school.
• Authorities of formerly certified independent schools that have ceased to operate and are seeking to re-open, would be considered to be opening a new school and need to reapply in accordance with this policy.
• Authorities wishing to transfer a school from one authority to another or to open another educational program are required to contact the ministry well in advance of the proposed date of transfer or initiation, as there may be a requirement to apply under this policy. This includes school acquisitions, the opening of a secondary campus and group funding classification changes. 

• The New School Application Process follows an annual cycle, leading to a September school opening. Mid-year school start-ups will not be contemplated. Applications are accepted only for schools planning to commence operations the following September (i.e., it is not possible to apply more than one year in advance of a planned school’s opening).
• The ministry will consider applications outside of the timelines established in this policy only in cases where an applicant can show the ministry that extraordinary circumstances require special consideration to mitigate an emergent risk to children or youth, or when a B.C. First Nation is seeking to open an independent school.
• If successful at the Interview stage, early submission of required information, along with complete and satisfactory documentation will allow for prompt issuance of interim certification. 

• Information on the four groups of independent school certification can be found in the Classification of Independent Schools Policy.
• All schools wishing to pursue Group 1 certification start as Group 2 schools for their first year of operation. Eligibility to move to Group 1 certification must further be demonstrated through a Statement of Per Student Operating Cost Report (SOPSOC).
• Upon fully meeting requirements of their inspection, new Group 2 schools will receive their first grant payment in February in their start-up year.

• The Ministry of Education and Child Care is not currently entering into any additional Provincial Online Learning School Agreements for online learning schools.

• The Ministry of Education and Child Care is not currently accepting applications for independent schools with inclusive education designations.

• After submitting an Expression of Interest, a prospective school authority may develop a web presence as long as the webpage clearly and prominently states the prospective school is not yet currently certified but seeking certification. This website may be used, for example, for the purpose of recruiting prospective school staff or securing a letter of municipal/local government compliance. The school may not recruit or enroll students through the website or any other means until after interim certification has been achieved (Step 5).
• In extraordinary circumstances, where a prospective school authority is able to demonstrate exceptional value to a community, the ministry may consider permitting limited marketing prior to receiving an expression of interest.
• New schools must have 10 or more school age students who are enrolled, in physical attendance at the school and are reported as 1.00 FTE as of September 30, in accordance with the 1701 instructions for independent schools for the September data collection. Failure to meet enrolment requirements may result in the termination of the interim certificate.
• Prior to the 1701 data collection, new schools must report their overall enrolment and the number of resident and international students to the Inspector of Independent Schools. Schools seeking Group 2 or 3 Classification in their first year of operation, must ensure that at least 50% B.C. resident students are enrolled as of September 30. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the interim certificate.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires that a school be certified, at least on an interim basis, prior to considering study permit applications from students.
• All marketing materials (e.g., websites) for a school must accurately reflect the school's current Certificate of Group Classification and the programs offered.
• For Group 3 Schools only: Schools are required to include specific information on registration and enrolment forms and on the school website - as identified in the condition on their certificate of classification.

• All schools, in their first year of operation, must provide parents with specific statements in relation to school fees and refunds. (Fees include tuition fees, boarding fees, and any other fees, charges or deposits collected by the school authority.) Refund policies should be provided to families before any fees are paid and should be published online or otherwise made available upon request. Authorities are reminded to reference the School Fee Refund Guidelines (PDF) for specific statements that must be included in the school's refund policies.
• Prior to interim certification being issued, the school is not permitted to collect fees from prospective students.
• In the period between receipt of interim certification and July 1 of the year the school intends to begin operating, a deposit of up to CDN $500 per student may be collected. No other fees from families may be collected during this time.
• After July 1 of the year the school intends to begin operating, an authority may collect fees for the school year that starts in September only after the authority has posted its fee refund policy online and in any relevant printed materials, e.g., registration forms, parent handbook etc.
• School authorities are not permitted to collect fees for multiple years at one time.
• If a proposed school with interim certification does not commence operations or does not receive certification following its initial external evaluation, interim certification will be revoked, and fees paid should be returned to families.

• Early in the education process, prospective new schools should consider involving a B.C. certified educator, ideally with experience establishing new independent schools in B.C. and/or recent school administrative experience in B.C. schools to advise on the development of the education program. Insufficient B.C. education sector expertise is a common reason for rejected applications. FISA BC maintains a list of individuals willing to serve in this capacity as an educational consultant.
• Certification will be granted only to schools seeking to offer continuous/adjacent grades. A school may start by offering one grade or multiple adjacent grades.
• A school's initial certificate will include only the grades approved during the school's interview.
• In a subsequent year, if a school seeks to expand its certificate to include additional grades, the school will need to apply for a program review in the spring prior to the implementation of the new grade.
• A prospective school seeking to offer any grade within the B.C. Graduation Program (grades 10-12) must demonstrate a solid understanding of the full B.C. Graduation Program, even if it is initially applying to offer only Grade 10. The school must be able to show how it will meet all program requirements by outlining a clear pathway to graduation.
  • If a school is approved to offer only part of the graduation program, it may apply in future years to add subsequent grades. In general, schools applying to offer the B.C. Graduation Program are expected to be working toward delivering all three years of the program.
  • Schools intending to offer only part of the graduation program are expected to demonstrate how they have coordinated with local schools that will receive their students partway through the B.C. Graduation Program.
• A school offering the B.C. Graduation Program is expected to offer all required courses and an adequate number of required (core) and elective credits at the school. Students should not be required to complete courses elsewhere to achieve graduation status. Students may cross-enroll to select elective course credits from online learning programs or other schools, but only to complete course credit over the 80 graduation program credits offered at the school, or to replace an option already offered at the school.
• In the first year of operation, new non-First Nation independent schools can offer programs only to school-aged students and are not permitted to enrol students in adult graduation programs. In subsequent years of operation, prior written approval from the Inspector of Independent Schools is required before enrolling adult students. The inspector's decision will be based on the school's history of offering a successful graduation program to school-aged students.

• Applicants must communicate any significant changes that occur during the application process, such as substantive changes in the authority responsible for the prospective school, facility location, proposed grade ranges, or intended school classification. Failure to report such changes may result in denial of an application or revocation of interim certification.

Questions or comments on the application process should be directed to EDUC.IndependentSchoolsOffice@gov.bc.ca

Deadline:

A fully completed EOI submission through the Portal (for school start up the following September) will be accepted between July 1 and midnight September 15.

Action:

A completed Expression of Interest (EOI) must be submitted via the Independent School BC Online Portal (the Portal). The ministry will not accept an EOI that does not include all required elements at the time of submission.

Required materials:

• Complete information for the school authority
• Provide general information about the prospective school
• Include the incorporation certificate issued under the Societies Act or the Business Corporations Act
• Submit a Certificate of Good Standing if original incorporation documents are more than one year old
• Group 4 applicants only:  Group 4 applicants should begin working with a financial institution or surety bond provider to determine eligibility for obtaining an adequate bond.

Applicants who have satisfactorily submitted an EOI submission will be invited to Step 2 - Application Submission. Applicants will receive an email notification notifying them of this opportunity to move to the next step.

Deadline:

A completed online application and all required documents must be submitted through the Portal by midnight October 27. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. (The ministry will not accept additional documents or information after the deadline.)

Action:

Applicants that have passed the Step 1 - Expression of Interest stage will be invited to submit an application and supporting documentation through the Portal. The ministry will only review one completed application from each applicant in each application cycle. Once the application is submitted via the Portal, it is considered final. The applicant will receive an automated email confirmation once the application has been submitted. If the applicant does not receive an automated email confirmation, the applicant should not consider the application complete and should contact the ministry. 

Required materials: 

1. Complete online application for interim certification (via the Portal)

2. Complete school policy/procedures manual

• Must include all required policies for an independent school as listed on the Independent School Information for Administrators - Creating School-Specific Policies.
• Must be a single PDF document with an alphabetized table of contents showing individual policies. Please align policy titles with the ministry list.

Missing, incomplete, or inadequate policies will result in the denial of the application.

​​​3. Business plan

• The reasons the applicant is pursuing this project.
• A brief paragraph describing the school’s intended program successful applicants will have an opportunity to elaborate on program planning during the interview process).
• A Marketing and Student Recruitment Plan.

4. Additional documents

• Part A: Anticipated enrolment and staffing (218KB,PDF)
• Part B: Financial projections (34KB,XLSX)

School authorities seeking Group 4 certification must additionally provide:

• Written confirmation from a financial institution or surety provider of their eligibility to obtain a bond in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit or surety bond in the amount of $100,000, consistent with requirements of the Independent School Regulation.
• Completed draft of a school Fee and Tuition Refund Policy for ministry review and approval. This policy is required in the event the school fails to obtain or maintain its Group 4 Certificate of Classification in the first year of the school's operation.
• Contact information (name, postal address, phone number and email address) for two business references for each director listed on the prospective school’s incorporation documents.
• Employees, educational consultants, and co-directors are excluded from providing these references.
• The same person may not act as a reference for more than one director.
• References will only be contacted for school authority directors when an application is advancing to Step 4.

Deadline:

Successful applicants should be available and prepared to interview beginning November 12. Upon invitation, applicants are required to schedule and complete the interview typically before March 15.

Invitations to interview will be prioritized in the order that applications have been received and processed. The ministry will work with applicants to set a mutually agreeable meeting date, but final meeting dates will be established by the ministry.

Action:

The Inspector of Independent Schools will conduct an in-depth interview to review the application and to assess motivation, preparation, familiarity with provincial curriculum requirements, and readiness and ability to start an independent school that will successfully meet ministry requirements.

• An applicant's prior independent or offshore school experience, the viability of their proposal, planning, program vision and the described school configuration will be considered, as will alignment between the applicant’s written submission and the interview.
• The applicant must be prepared to clearly articulate plans for implementing their educational program in a manner consistent with the level and classification of certification being sought, and demonstrate an understanding of ministry policies, essential certification requirements and inspection process.
• The applicant must be prepared to discuss school-specific policies and demonstrate readiness to operationalize these policies.
• The applicants will be evaluated on their responses. The results will determine if the application is approved and whether the applicant will move forward to pre-certification.
• The ministry will endeavor to inform the applicant of the result of the interview as soon as possible.

Deadline:

Pre-certification submission (and supporting documentation) must be received no later than June 1 - earlier submission is welcome.

Action:

Prospective applicants who have satisfactorily completed the interview (Step 3) will be invited to make their pre-certification submission (including supporting documentation), confirming outstanding requirements have been met.

• The school must not operate as a B.C. certified school prior to receiving interim certification and prior to September 1.
• The school may not enroll international students until after the school has been issues interim certification.

Required Materials:

• Proof of lease/purchase of facility.
• Proof of facility inspection and written confirmation of suitability of facility by the local building, fire and health authorities or Indigenous Services Canada.
  • See Local Government/Municipal Compliance Letter (DOCX).
• Confirmation of water testing for lead. See “Testing Lead Content in Drinking Water of Independent School Facilities”.
• For Group 4 Schools only - An irrevocable letter of credit or surety bond (with the Minister of Finance as beneficiary) issued by a bank or surety company in B.C. in the amount of at least $100,000, is required for interim certification to be granted. (The bond should not be obtained before the applicant is advised of the outcome of the interview). Please contact the independent schools team for the template language that must be included.)

Action:

Upon satisfactory completion of Steps 1 through 4, the Ministry of Education and Child Care will typically issue an interim certificate by June 30 permitting the school to begin operating as an independent school in September.

• New Group 1, 2 and 3 schools begin with an Interim Group 3 certificate.
• Schools pursuing a Group 1 classification will not be able to apply for this until their second year of operation. They will begin with an Interim Group 2 certificate and move to a regular Group 2 certificate after a successful inspection. Approval to move to Group 1 will be determined after the  school has submitted a Statement of Per Student Operating Costs at the end of its first year of operation.
  • Group 2 schools will receive a regular Group 2 certificate upon successful inspection.
  • Group 3 schools will receive a regular Group 3 certificate upon successful inspection.

• New Group 4 schools begin with an Interim Group 4 certificate that will be changed to a regular Group 4 after a successful inspection.

Information about interim certification:

• Upon issuance of interim certification, the Ministry of Education and Child Care will schedule a full inspection (external evaluation – see Step 7) which typically takes place in the first month of the school year.
• Interim certification is valid for the dates specified on the Interim Certificate unless the School Authority receives full certification from the Ministry of Education and Child Care or the Interim Certificate is revoked.
• Upon issuance of interim certification, the school may start marketing the prospective school’s intended opening in September with specific claims stating that:
  • The B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care authorizes the applicant to offer an educational program beginning in September, and
  • The school will be fully inspected in the fall and expects, upon resolution of any compliance issues identified during the inspection, to be issued full certification by the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care shortly thereafter.
• Independent school authorities and principals will be granted access to information bulletins from the Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care. The Deputy Minister's Bulletin is the ministry's main communication tool to independent school authorities and principals. New school principals will be provided access to the Bulletins after receipt of interim certification. Communications are posted each week and sent to the ministry contact for the school only. School authorities and principals are encouraged to share this information as appropriate with staff.
• Schools are encouraged to onboard with MyEducation BC (MyEd BC) once interim certification has been issued. Information regarding how to register for MyEd BC will be outlined in the interim certificate letter sent to new schools.

For Group 4 schools only: If a school fails to achieve or maintain B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care Group 4 certification during the first year of operation, collected fees and tuition will be reimbursed by the School Authority according to its posted refund policy.

Deadlines:

• Students must be in attendance at the school by September 30.
• Schools are required to confirm student enrolment (full FTE) counts to the Inspector of Independent Schools by September 20.
• The School must complete the required data submissions by the annual ministry deadlines.

Action:

All independent schools must have 10 or more school age students who are enrolled with the school and reported as 1.00 FTE each as of September 30, in accordance with the 1701 instructions for independent schools for the September data collection. Failure to do so may result in the termination of the interim certificate.

Deadline:

• The authority/school is required to complete and send the required template and supporting documentation to the ministry by the required deadlines (early September for new schools).
• An inspection will be scheduled in the first month of a new school's first year of operation.

Action:

Certified independent schools in B.C. are regularly inspected by the Ministry of Education and Child Care to ensure the program continues to meet the requirements of the B.C. Ministry of Education and Child Care and the Independent School Act. The Inspector of Independent Schools may inspect schools at any time.

• Inspection templates and a guide for administrators are updated and posted each June. Independent schools inspection documents - Province of British Columbia

For further information please see the External Evaluation and Inspection Policy for Independent Schools.

Deadline:

Timelines for the resolution of any items identified in the external evaluation will be communicated to the school authority through the evaluation report.

Action:

Upon completion of a successful school external evaluation, and the resolution of any requirements identified, the interim classification will be adjusted to Group 2, 3 or Group 4 certification.

Failure to maintain the requirements for certification may result in the cancelation of a school's certificate.