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Private School vs. Public School

Deciding whether to send a child to public or private school can be a tough choice for parents of elementary, middle and high school students. Data on whether public or private education is better can be challenging to find and difficult to understand, and the cost of private school can be daunting.

So how can parents weigh private schools versus public schools?

Myra McGovern, spokesperson for the National Association of Independent Schools, says it comes down to what is best for each child.

“The individual needs of the child should shape the choice for parents,” she says.

Robert Pianta, professor of early childhood education and founding director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia, notes that there are various types of private schools. Some are managed by and affiliated with religious sects, while others operate independently under certain philosophical guidelines. He says parents should be “clear about the specific benefits that they are seeking for their child.”

“What is it about their child that makes them think a private education will be better, and then, more importantly, what is it about a specific private school that matches that child’s needs?” he wrote in an email. “And then, would this experience (or others) be also available in public school?”

Public and Private Schools By the Numbers

With more than 13,000 public school districts (made up of about 100,000 schools) and more than 30,000 individual private schools in the U.S., parents have plenty of choices. However, certain locales may have limited or no private school options. Some may have private schools for certain grades and not others.

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, public schools still attract far more students than private schools, with 50.8 million students attending public school as of 2019. Private school enrollment in the fall of 2019 was 4.7 million students, down from 5.7 million in 2017.

But what are the distinctions that might make a difference to parents as they decide between the two? Experts and education researchers say parents should look at a variety of factors when choosing a school for their child, including:

  • Educational outcomes, such as rates of graduation and college enrollment.
  • Class size.
  • Teacher training.
  • Affordability.
  • Diversity.
  • Availability of programs for learning disabilities.

DMU Timestamp: February 13, 2024 08:59





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