Boot Camps & Military Schools in Minnesota

Parents seeking outside help for their struggling and at-risk teens, may get advice from others telling them to place their child in military school or boot camp to scare them into respecting authority. However, it’s important for parents to understand the differences between the teen help programs available in order to select the one that will best help. At Help Your Teen Now, we help parents become informed about their options and direct them toward the resources that will be most helpful. Our free phone consultation and assessment will give you the knowledge you need to move forward.

Boot Camps Are Not The Best Option for Troubled Teens from Minnesota

Although there are several variations of teen programs available, military school and boot camps for teens are not what you may have seen in the movies or media. For instance, military schools are primarily academic institutions that train and prepare students for military service. They do not accommodate the needs of at-risk teens. Juvenile boot camps are military-style, short-term, remedial programs designed to scare kids into respecting authority through reasonable deprivation and tough discipline. These programs are non-therapeutic and non-academic, potentially unsafe, and don’t address the teen’s issues causing the behaviors, leading to very short term success. Although a well run boot camp may be the first step toward a long-term therapy program, we encourage parents to consider facilities that have a higher long term success rate such as alternative or therapeutic boarding schools. Contact us today to discuss the options available in your area.

Minnesota Regulatory Laws

In Minnesota, nonpublic or private school is defined as “any school, church or religious organization, or home school where a student can fulfill compulsory education requirements, that is located in the state, and that meets the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” Minn. Stat. Ann. §123B.41, Subd. 9. Aside from this quote, there are no official state requirements for registration, licensing, accreditation or approval. Minn. Stat. Ann. §123B.445.

Teachers are not required to have certification, however, they must fulfill at least one of the following criteria, be supervised by an individual who holds a teaching license; hold a teaching license for the state of Minnesota; hold a baccalaureate or provide instruction in a school that is recognized by a credit agency that is recognized by the commissioner or complete a teacher competency exam. Minn. Stat. Ann.§123B.445.

Minnesota nonpublic school curriculum must include reading, writing, literature, fine arts, mathematics, science, history, geography, government, health and physical education. Minn. Stat. Ann. §120A.22, Subd. 9. Minnesota’s High School Incentives Program allows nonprofit, nonpublic, nonsectarian schools to contract with local school districts to provide educational services to at-risk children. Minn. Stat. Ann. §124D.68.

All new students must have proof of current immunization or a legal exemption form. Minn. Stat. Ann. §121A.15. A minimum of five school lock-down drills, five school fire drills and one tornado drill are required of every nonpublic school facility. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 299F.30. Any assault against a private school teacher resulting in bodily harm is considered a misdemeanor under Minn. Stat. Ann. §609.2231 Subd. 5. Instructors are allowed to use reasonable force to restrain a student from self injury, property damage or injury to others. Minn. Stat. Ann. §609.379. The same health services and guidance counseling services offered to public schools should also be made available to nonpublic schools. Minn. Stat. Ann. §123B.44.

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf