June 22, 2026

Introduction

“Since all Christians have become by rebirth of water and the Holy Spirit a new creature so that they should be called and should be children of God, they have a right to a Christian education.”^[1]By virtue of their goal to fulfill this duty of forming children of God holistically rather than only intellectually, classical schools often face difficulty gaining accreditation from secular authorities. Fortunately, there are resources available to make the process easier.

Overview of the Accreditation Process

Despite the prominence of independent national accreditation organizations, the accreditation of schools is almost exclusively a function of state governments. This means that the accreditation process is unique to each state. The standards for accreditation are usually initiated by state legislatures, which pass laws that delegate that authority to the state department of education.^[2] The department of education then promulgates rules that specify what schools must do to gain and maintain accreditation.^[3] Additional information can be found on the website of each state department of education. On occasion, a department of education will pair with outside organizations to aid them with accreditation of nonpublic schools.^[4]

The Challenge of State Accreditation

The difference in vision between classical schools and public schools (and even many other nonclassical private schools) is perhaps the most systemic and challenging issue to navigate in the accreditation process. Based on both empirical evidence and polling, it is clear that “[t]he American public does not agree on a single purpose for public education.”^[5]And this lack of uniform vision about the purpose of education is revealed by the graduation requirements states promulgate for their high school students. A cursory look will often show a hodgepodge of language arts, social studies, math, and science.^[6] But why these topics? In short, these are a secular society’s best guess at what will prepare children academically for adulthood.

Contrast this with classical educators, who often articulate their purpose in a much more holistic manner. Classical education seeks not just academic achievement, but wisdom  the “cultivat[ion] of minds and hearts.”^[7] This cultivation is a lengthy, intentional process that begins with “reason, hard work, and a coherent program of study”^[8] based on ancient wisdom articulated through great literary and philosophical works. Students can reach their full human potential only with an understanding and appreciation for the wisdom of the past. And reaching this potential has positive implications for the workforce, the community, and the family.

Often blinded by the pressure to produce measurable success (in the form of test scores, etc.), modern public schools have lost this vision that inspired the development of schools centuries ago. Instead of seeking goodness, truth,  through active discussion and reflection, public schools often prioritize maximizing performance metrics on standardized tests (the content  will soon be forgotten) or instilling the political priorities of the teacher. Unfortunately for classical schools, state governments have grown to adopt the public-school model and implement it in their accreditation process. This means that absent a systemic re-thinking of Western education altogether, classical schools must take steps to adapt to the realities of the current accreditation regime without losing sight of their mission.

Potential Solutions

Forgoing Accreditation

It should be first noted that schools are not legally required to be accredited. Parents are generally free to send a child to an unaccredited school, and the unaccredited school is free to function as it pleases without any legal penalty. However, forgoing accreditation may have serious consequences for graduates. Most notably, colleges and universities may only accept applications from students with a diploma from an accredited high school, and future employers may not recognize diplomas from unaccredited schools.

Further, standards for college admission are always subject to change, which means lack of accreditation now could become more problematic in the future. While forgoing accreditation may be enticing—especially to parents and schools who want to avoid the headache of the proverbial red tape—there is nothing preventing a student’s dream university from pulling the rug out from under the student by refusing to recognize her unaccredited diploma. At that point, it is too late to adapt. While forgoing accreditation is an option, the consequences to students may be severe.

Non-Public Accreditors

One solution to the problem may be to find non-public accreditors that the state recognizes. This can be difficult and state-specific, but the benefit can be relatively painless accreditation without significant institutional change. One example is the Association of Classical Christian Schools (“ACCS”), which accredits schools through the same methods as state actors but does so according to a set of standards more inline with the mission of classical Christian schools.

ACCS and other independent accreditors “value [schools’] independence and their freedom to serve students and families as they understand our world in the light of Christian truth,” with the ultimate goal of pursuing “classical Christian ideals without interference or influence from progressive educational systems.”^[9]Independent ACCS accreditation is available in all 50 states, but such accreditation is only recognized in a handful of states.^[10]

Self-Reporting Items

For schools in states that are unfriendly to the mission of classical schools, the best solution may be simply to comply as much as possible with the state’s standards for self-reporting criteria. For example, if your state measures compliance standards in part through self-reporting of syllabi, consult with outside organizations such as the ACCS, as well as other schools in similar situations. Such collaboration can aid in better understanding the state’s accreditation requirements. This understanding and institutional “know how” can be invaluable in crafting your school’s syllabi and other self-reporting items. Learning these dynamics can help your school pass muster according to the secular standards promulgated by the state without sacrificing your mission. If the game is hard to play—as accreditation often is—the best thing to do is to understand the rules.

Conclusion

For classical schools—especially those with a distinctly Christian mission—state accreditation can be a difficult hurdle on the road to providing children the education they deserve according to God’s desire. Because the secular mission of schools has largely departed from this original understanding of the purpose of education, classical schools must take steps to deal with the reality of this shift in the vision of education. Rather than simply forgoing accreditation, your school should consider taking steps such as pairing with non-public accreditors and carefully studying accreditation requirements. This will arm your school with the institutionalknowledge required to achieve accreditation without sacrificing the integrityof the school’s mission.^[11]

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[1] Pope Paul VI. Declaration on Christian Education – Gravissimum Educationis, Vatican: The Holy See (Oct. 28, 1965), https://perma.cc/BW2K-LTWG.

[2] See, § 13-3-47 (“The secretary of the Department of Education shall be responsible for the classification and accreditation of all public and nonpublic schools under the rules established by the South Dakota Board of Education Standards . . .”).

[3] See, e.g., ARSD 24:43:04 (outlining the processes by which a nonpublic school may seek accreditation in South Dakota).

[4] Welcome to POSAC, Okla. Private School Accrediting Comm’n, https://perma.cc/VR5L-TK7K.

[5] Tim Walker, What’s the Purpose of Education? Public Doesn’t Agree on the Answer, Nat. Educ. Ass’n (Aug. 29, 2016), https://perma.cc/PUU7-NSC9.

[6] ARSD 24:43:11:02.

[7] Core Purpose and Values, Great Hearts America, https://perma.cc/WG72-Y6XA.

[8] Our View of Learning: Verum, Pulchrum, Bonum., Great Hearts America, https://perma.cc/D7HG-MQFG.

[9] Rethink Education, Association of Classical Christian Schools, https://perma.cc/2EAN-CWKH.

[10] State Recognition of Accreditation, Association of Classical Christian Schools, https://perma.cc/3XN2-8L7J.

[11] Some additional nonpublic accreditors include the Society for Classical Learning (https://perma.cc/9S53-AMAQ); the National Council for Private School Accreditation (https://perma.cc/WKP6-PRCR); and the National Association for Private, Catholic, and Independent Schools (https://perma.cc/W6PD-4VYU). For more options and other helpful resources, contact Napa Legal Institute.

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