Deciding Which Type of School is Right for your Child

Private and public and charter — oh my! With so many different educational options for your kids these days, how do you know which one is right? Before making your decision, it’s important that you truly understand the difference between all the types of schools offered. So, let’s dig into these school types and clearly differentiate between public schools, private boarding schools and charter schools. 

One option — and arguably the most common choice — for your child’s education is to enroll them in public school. To this day, our country offers up to 100,000 public schools for students in elementary, middle and high school and has continued to be a popular choice for parents.

Public schools all operate on tax dollars and state standards. Because public schools rely on federal, state and local tax dollars, attending public schools is free for all students to attend.

A second option you may be considering for your child is private school. Private boarding schools, unlike public schools, depend on their own funding, which can come from parent paid-tuition, grants, donations and endowments.

Because these schools are private, they can be associated with a religious group or other curriculum that is not regulated by state standards. With that, private boarding schools require an application process, whereas public schools by law are required to accept every child in the district.

So you’ve considered public schools and private boarding schools, but what about charter schools? Charter schools are a hybrid between public and private schools. Similar to public schools, charter schools are free and cannot discriminate against students based on race, gender or religious affiliation.

However, like private boarding schools, parents must submit an application for enrollment due to limited space. Charter schools are independently run but are still funded by government coffers. 

Now that we’ve defined the differences between the three types of schools, how do you pick the right one for your child?

Things to consider when making the big decision are money, academic programs, class sizes, religious affiliation and racial diversity. For example, if you can’t afford to pay for your child’s education, you will want to rule out private boarding schools and focus on deciding between charter and public.

Another example is whether or not you want your child to be exposed to more diversity. In other words, if you have a religious affiliation and want your child’s education to incorporate that specific religion, a private school would be a great choice.   

All three types of school will provide exceptional education opportunities for your child — that’s a no brainer — but when it comes to choosing between the three, it’s important to consider all the information above and to pick the best option specific for your situation. 

Alyssa Koenig is an academic writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Wasatch Academy. Follow on Twitter.