Choosing Between Public and Private Schools
A School Choice Decision Making Guide for Parents and Students
Oct 4, 2008
This decision can be a challenging one for parents to make and often influences the children’s education for years to come. Some of the factors parents may want to consider in choosing public or private schools include the schools’ academics, values, extracurricular activities, cost, location, and long-term availability. Parents with older students may also need to strongly consider their children’s opinions.
Academics
Many parents choose private schools because they want their children to have smaller class sizes, higher academic standards, or better support for gifted students. Interested parents can often find information about standardized test scores, average class sizes, curriculum requirements, and any specialized academic programs and classes the public or private school offers on the school, district, or state website. Visiting a school and talking with teachers, principals, or parents of other students can also help give parents a better picture of a school’s academics.
Values and Beliefs
Although some private schools are secular, many are affiliated with a religious group, or even a particular church. Many private schools include religious classes, chapel attendance, or community service as part of the curriculum. For some parents, these components are a primary reason to choose private schools. Parents should find out as much as possible about any religious affiliations and components a private school has, and make sure these elements are compatible with the family’s belief system.
Extracurricular Activities and Specialized Classes
Public and private schools may differ as to what types of music, arts, language, AP and special interest classes they offer, as well as in after-school sports and other extracurricular activities. These programs often depend on the size of the school, and level of school funding. Most schools are stronger in some programs than others, so parents may want to consider their students’ particular interests or needs.
Cost
Private schools may charge several thousand dollars a year in tuition, making cost a major deciding factor for some families. Costs can vary widely from school to school, with some schools offering scholarships, or discounts for multiple children. Parents should consider how they will pay for the private school, and whether they would rather spend the money saving for college and enriching their children’s education in other ways.
Location
Most public schools offer free bus service for students who live beyond walking distance. In contrast, many private schools offer limited or no bus transportation, making parents responsible for getting their children to and from school everyday. Depending on the location of the school, this may or may not be convenient or practical.
Long-Term Planning
Some students go to the same private school from kindergarten through high school graduation, but many private schools only offer early grades or K-8. Parents should consider what options are available once their children outgrow the private school, and whether they will send them to public high school or find another private school.
Student Opinions
Children who have friends in the neighborhood may want to attend the same schools as they do (generally, the local public school). As students get older, they may be better able to form and express opinions about what sort of school they would like to attend. Parents should carefully consider these opinions in choosing schools.
Decision Making
Every family is unique, and an important decision-making factor for one family may not be so important to another. Parents may want to make a list of the pros and cons for each option, as well as for specific schools, then consider which items on the list are most important to them.
