Schools, Private - As enacted, prohibits the state board of education from requiring a private school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program to comply with certain class size, school calendar, vaccination, and assessment requirements in order to operate in this state as an approved Category III nonpublic school. - Amends TCA Title 49.

SB 827 prevents Tennessee’s state board of education from requiring fully online, self-paced private schools (that are regionally accredited) to follow specific public school rules. It directly affects Category III nonpublic schools offering online programs by exempting them from requirements for class size, minimum instructional days/hours, student vaccination mandates, and annual standardized testing in math and English for grades 3-11. The bill’s key provision states the state board cannot enforce these four requirements when approving such online schools. This change allows these schools to operate under different standards than traditional public or private schools. The law took effect on May 5, 2025, for all purposes.