Public School vs. Private School

As a parent, you’re always looking out for your children, trying to make the best decisions for them and their futures. When it comes to schooling, parents often have to work out whether to send their children to private school or keep them in public school. Hopefully, this article will help you decide which school is best for your family. We’ll first talk generally about some of the different factors that impact decisions regarding public and private schools. Then we’ll go over some national statistics regarding public and private schools. Finally, we’ll leave you with a conclusion that should help you decide what is best for you.

   

Public schools are schools that are provided by state and federal funding. Ninety percent of the children today in America attend public school. Private schools include both parochial schools and non-parochial schools. According to a special report published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 2002, in 1999–2000, approximately 27,000 private schools accounted for 24 percent of all schools in the US and 12 percent of all full-time-equivalent teachers. Clearly, there are many more public schools that provide education to American students than their private counterparts.

Usually, when considering private versus public school, parents will have one or more factors that concern them.

When looking at public or private schools, the following factors come into play:

• Academic reputation and college preparation
• School size and Class size
• Safety reputation
• Special programs
• Costs
• Religious and Moral instruction
• Location
• Ideology

Academic Programs Public schools offer a general program, designed for all. This usually includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history, and physical education. In addition, many public schools offer programs in music, art, languages, technology, and career education too. What students learn is decided by the state. In most states, learning is measured through standardized tests. The content and minimum achievement criteria in each course offered in public high schools are put forward by the state and each student must achieve this minimum criterion before receiving credit.    
Private schools have the flexibility to create specialized programs for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes or take children on outdoor trips. They can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many choose to use standardized tests. Many parents are drawn to the alternative curriculums that private schools have to offer. Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests. As with earlier results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), private school students performed higher than public school students on the NAEP: 2000 tests. Their average scores were above those of public school students on the 4th-grade reading test and on the 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade science and mathematics proficiency tests. Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools. Compared with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year high school programs) in 1999–2000 in social studies, mathematics, science, foreign language, and computer science. For example, private schools required on average 3.1 years of mathematics, while public schools required 2.7 years. The figures for foreign language study also differed: 1.5 years at private schools but 0.5 years at public schools. In addition, about 40 percent of private schools required some form of community service for high school graduation, four times the rate for public schools (10 percent).

School Financial Support System Private schools depend mainly on tuition fees and funds coming from non-public sources such as religious organizations, endowments, grants, and charitable donations. Private schools can participate in federal breakfast and lunch programs, but they usually don’t need to. School Size While smaller school size may be correlated to a more controlled academic setting, the flip side is that there is strength in numbers. Small schools have some disadvantages as well such as providing a narrower set of programs and services. The smallest high schools may not be able to offer advanced courses because they have too few students, a shortage of qualified teachers, or both. Larger schools can often be set up to support specific groups within their student population (such as those requiring English as a Second Language targeted help). Overall, research is debatable over whether a smaller school size is correlated with a better academic setting.

Class Size Average class size in public schools is larger than private schools. Many states recognize the value of small classes and have provided funding to keep class sizes small in grades K-3. As students become older, class size tends to get bigger in public schools, especially in large school districts and urban schools.  On average, private schools have smaller average class sizes than public schools. A 2008 study by the NCES shows that private school class sizes vary from 15.4 students up to nearly 20 students per class. For public schools, teachers average between 20 to just over 23 students per class.
Quality of Teachers Teachers in public schools are state certified, which means that they have gone through the training required by the state including student teaching and coursework. They are required to hold college degrees and to be licensed by the state. Additionally, as part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, all public school teachers must demonstrate that they are “highly qualified.” This designation is achieved if teachers hold at least a bachelor’s degree in the subject area in which they teach and are state certified, or if they do not hold a degree in their subject area they must demonstrate competency in their area of teaching through some other means, such as testing. Public schools cannot terminate the contracts of their teachers abruptly. After completing a probationary period, teachers are granted tenure by law. They cannot be dismissed without first going through a twelve-month rehabilitation period. This too can only be done after a public hearing in which charges of incompetence or misconduct must be proven.

On the other hand, private school teachers may not be required to have certification, and often have subject area expertise and a degree in the subject they teach. Private schools have their own personnel requirements. Private schools can terminate the terms of their teachers abruptly. Schools are free to deal with personnel matters.

Level of Education  Most schools—61 percent of private and 71 percent of public—were elementary. Ten percent of private schools and 25 percent of public schools were secondary. Finally, a higher proportion of private schools (30 percent) combined education levels (usually grades K–12 or 1–12), compared with only 4 percent of public schools. Usually, public schools are broken out due to their size. If having your child around kids that are much older or younger bothers you, you may have an easier time finding a public school that meets your needs than a private school. Special Needs

Another aspect that needs attention is regarding children with special needs. Special education laws make it mandatory for public schools to educate and meet the special needs of these children. Therefore, most of the public schools have special programs and teachers for these students. Public school systems often will have specialized schools to support children with multiple special needs. Private schools, on the other hand, have no such obligation; most private schools do not have special education programs or teachers. However, there are private schools that cater specially to special needs. If your child has a special need, you’ll need to research your options to determine whether public or private school best suits your child at this time. Obligations

Public schools are obligated by law to educate all children, so to enroll in a public school you simply register your child by filling out the necessary forms. Public schools must accept any resident student who applies for admission, regardless of sex, race, religious affiliation, economic status or physical or mental handicap. Public schools must also meet state graduation requirements, which vary state by state. Public schools can kick children out if their behavior is too disruptive, but the public school system will usually have in place an alterative school that the child will attend until they are no longer under the care of the public (18 years of age). Private schools are not obligated by any laws regarding admission. Therefore, private school admission is competitive. Also, private schools are not required to provide educational programs for children with special needs. Private schools are also under no obligation to keep a student enrolled. If a child’s behavior disrupts the school’s milieu, they can be kicked out. Another scenario to keep in mind is that if a child’s academic progress is not acceptable, they may be kicked out as well. Graduation requirements for private schools are decided by each school and are not subject to any state requirements. Many private schools do choose to align themselves with private school associations which will mandate graduation requirements. School Admissions Cost  Cost is another important factor that helps in deciding the type of school parents want to send their children to. State Constitutions prohibits public schools from charging residents any form of tuition or other fees for materials, supplies, textbooks or transportation. On the other hand, private schools do not receive tax revenues but are funded through tuition, donations and private grants. Therefore, private schools cost more than public schools. According to National Association of Independent Schools, the median tuition fee for private day schools in the United States is close to $12,000 for grades 1 to 3, $13,000 for grades 6 to 8 and $15,000 for grades 9 to 12. The median tuition fee for boarding schools is $12,000 for grades 1 to 3, $27,000 for grades 6 to 9, and $28,000 for grades 9 to 12. Fees in parochial schools are a little less. Another study found that parochial schools cost $4,200 a year while other private schools charge $8,500 per student. One thing to consider, however, is the location of public schools. That is, better funded public schools are usually found where the average housing costs are higher than in neighboring zip codes. That said, although public school is free, you may find yourself paying more out of pocket to live in a specific school zone. Support Services Religious Affiliation

Public schools are not religiously affiliated, but many private schools are religiously affiliated. In a 2009 NCES study of private schools, 68 percent of all private schools were found to have a religious affiliation, with 22 percent of those affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and another 13 percent identified with a non-denominational Christian church.

Location

Most private schools were located primarily in central cities (42 percent) and the urban fringe or large towns (40 percent). Only 18 percent of private schools were found in rural areas. In contrast, 24 percent of all public schools were in central city locations, 45 percent in the urban fringe or large towns, and 31 percent in rural areas.

Demographic Characteristics of Students

Student populations vary on race/ethnicity and limited-English proficiency status. Governance  Public schools are governed by local, state, and federal laws including specifics about funding, program development, and curriculum. Public schools are required to operate for a minimum of 180 days as per the compulsory attendance law. In addition, public school teachers must be employed for at least 16 days beyond the school term. Private schools are not subject to as many state and federal regulations as public schools. They are not subject to the limitations of state education budgets and have more freedom in designing curriculum and instruction. Private schools are required to operate for a minimum of 170 days as per compulsory attendance law. There is no regulation on employing a private school teacher beyond the school term. Teacher’s Impact and Perception  For most teaching practices—selecting teaching techniques, evaluating and grading students, disciplining students, choosing course content and skills to teach, and selecting textbooks and materials—private school teachers were more likely than public school teachers to report having a lot of influence on school policymaking. In four areas of school policy linked closely with teaching—establishing curriculum, setting student performance standards, setting discipline policy, and evaluating teachers—the sector differences were substantial. For example, 68 percent of private school teachers said they had a lot of influence on establishing curriculum, compared with 44 percent of public school teachers. In addition, private school teachers were more likely than public school teachers to say that they had a lot of influence on setting student performance standards (63 versus 38 percent) and on student discipline policy (48 versus 30 percent).