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State Office of Religious and Independent Schools-SORIS
Parents and guardians of compulsory school age children have the legal right to enroll them in nonpublic schools. Nonpublic schools may be either independent/secular or provide religious instruction as part of their curriculum. Parents and guardians may also instruct their school age children at home and be in compliance with the Compulsory Attendance Law.
Nonpublic school students are entitled to some publicly funded services, which are either provided by the school district in which the student resides or the district within which the nonpublic school is located. State-funded programs and services include: Health Services, Homebound Instruction, Textbook Loan Program, Computer Software Loan Program, School Library Materials Loan Program, Transportation (students must reside within 15 miles of the nonpublic school), Special Education Services, Dual Enrollment Programs, and Mandated Services Reimbursement.
The State Office of Religious and Independent Schools (SORIS) staff provides general information, support for the Board of Regents Education Corporation process and Commissioner’s Consent to alternate incorporations, registration of nonpublic high schools; oversight of the application process for entities seeking a Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) registration number; and Coordination of the Commissioner of Education's Advisory Council for Nonpublic Schools.
News
- 04/25/17-Below are links to the 2016-17 Nonpublic School Safety Equipment (NPSE) Grant information:
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- 03/21/17-Below are links to the 2016-17 Academic Intervention Services (AIS) information:
- AIS 2016-17 Program Guidance
- AIS 2016-17 Program Allocation Listing
- AIS 2016-17 Program Reimbursement Form _______________________________________________________________
- 3/17/17 -2016-17 Nonpublic School Safety Equipment Grant Allocation Listing Guidance and reimbursement form will be posted when there is an enacted 2017-18 NYS Executive Budget. _____________________________________________________________
- 1/27/17 - MSA 2016 System Open Announcement
- 1/26/17 - CAP Payments for the 2003-04 School Year
- 12/19/16 - The MSA-1, Schedule A Worksheet and Guidelines for the 2015-16 school year are now available.
- 11/28/16 -
Updates for Schools That Claimed MSA & CAP in 2012-13
- 11/1/16 - CAP Payments for the 2004-05 School Year
- 9/26/16 - Additional CAP Payment for 2005-06 school year
- 7/25/16 - Notice regarding 2014-15 & 2015-16 payments for the School Safety Equipment Grant
- 4/26/16 - CAP Notice April 2016 for 2014-15 (24KB)
- 3/29/16 - Save the Date: Our colleagues at NYSCIRS have asked us to notify you of the dates for the 2016 Independent and Religious Schools Conference. The 32nd annual Independent and Religious School’s Conference is November 14 & 15, 2016 at the Desmond Hotel, Albany. Conference and registration information is available at www.nyscirs.org.
- 3/29/16 – Transportation - Requests for transportation to your child(ren) nonpublic school for the 2016-2017 school year must be submitted to your home school district in writing by April 1, 2016
- 3/29/16 – Special Education Services - Requests for special education services for your child(ren) for the 2016-2017 school year must be submitted to your home district in writing by June 1, 2016
- 3/21/16 - NYSED Online Survey to Ascertain Professional Development Needs for Nonpublic Schools (Federal Title IIa). Memo and links to survey here (51KB).
- 02/22/16 - Increases to CAP Payments for the 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 School Years. Approval of MSA claims for 2014-15 School Year Temporarily Delayed.
- 01/14/16 - Mandated Services Aid claims for the 2014-15 school year has been extended until Friday January 22, 2016.
- 12/15/15 - The online system is now available for schools to submit their MSA claim for the 2014-15 school year.
- 11/6/15 - Inspection Reminder Letter (117KB)
- 09/23/15 - Safety Equipment Funding for Nonpublic Schools
- 09/10/15 - October 31, 2015 is the deadline for MSA and/or CAP claims for the 2011-12 School Year. New or amended online claims or paper submissions received after that date will not be accepted.
- 09/10/15 - Comprehensive Attendance Policy Program
- 09/10/15 - The MSA-1 Form, Schedule A/Worksheet, and Guidelines for the 2014-2015 school year are now available
- 08/25/15 - Adjustment to CAP Payments for the 2010-11 School Year
- 08/05/15 - New York State Nonpublic School Application Reimbursement for School Safety Equipment - Years 2 and 3.
(71KB) - 07/23/15 - Adjustment to CAP Payments for the 2009-10 School Year
- 07/01/15 - 2015-2016 Consolidated Application For Federally Funded Programs
- 06/22/15 - 2015 CAIRS Conference (November 09 & 10, 2015)
- 06/18/15 - Safe Act Guidance for 2014-2015 and 2015-2016
- 05/18/15 - CAP Reimbursement for the 2013-14 School Year
- 03/03/15 - Adjustment to MSA and CAP Payments for the 2009-10 School Year
- 02/18/15 - Online System Available to Submit MSA Claims for the 2013-14 School Year
- 01/23/15 - Adjustment to CAP Payments for 2007-08 and 2008-09 School Year
- 01/14/15 - The deadline for the 2013-14 school year MSA claims is today at 4:00. At that time, IT will shut down the system to the outside temporarily while we review those claims that were here by the due date.
- 12/11/14 - MSA Online System open for submission of 2013-14 school year claims
- 12/02/14 - The MSA-1 Form, Schedule A/Worksheet, and Guidelines for the 2013-2014 school year are now available
- 11/13/14 - Adjustment to CAP Payments for 2010-11 School Year
- 10/16/14 - October 31, 2014 is the deadline for MSA and/or CAP claims for the 2010-11 School Year. New or amended online claims or paper submissions received after that date will not be accepted.
- 05/29/14 - Safety Equipment Funding for Nonpublic Schools -
** School leaders should be aware that authorization to use these funds will expire on September 15, 2014. Each school’s allocation must be spent by that date. Spending that occurred after April 1, 2013 and through September 15, 2014 is eligible for reimbursement. Forms and receipts must be submitted by September 30, 2014 for reimbursement.**
- 05/14/14 - CAP Reimbursement for the 2012-13 School Year
- 12/12/13 - The Online System to Submit MSA Claims for 2012-13 School Year is now available
- 09/09/13 - The MSA-1 Form, Schedule A/Worksheet, and Guidelines for the 2012-2013 school year are now available
- 01/25/13 - IMPORTANT REMINDER TO NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS -
Mandated Services Aid claims are due by NOON Friday January 25, 2013. The online system will then be closed for a period of time to allow Department staff to review those claims that were submitted. We urge all schools to respond promptly to requests for information from staff to ensure timely payments when funds become available.
- 07/23/13 - Mandated Services for Closed Schools
- 11/13/12 - Technology Readiness Tool
- 08/31/12 - Administering the Language Assessment Battery
- 05/24/12 - Development of a Statewide Computer-based Testing Transition Plan (144 KB)