Public schools work for most people for their children. One of the reasons is that if you own property, you already are paying for the public schools in your area through property taxes. On the other hand, there are people who choose to send their children to private school. For those who decide to spend the extra money to send their kids to a private school, there can be a number of different reasons.
One of the top reasons that people send their children to private schools is for religious reasons. Most of the private schools in the U.S., especially those in smaller cities and towns, are affiliated with a religious denomination. Most religious private schools are Catholic, but just about every Christian denomination runs private elementary and secondary schools. It really has to do with the amount of people who practice a certain religion in a geographic school and the demand for religious education.
Another common reason that people send their kids to private school is because they don’t have confidence in the public schools in an area. In larger cities, school districts often struggle with funding if large numbers of people have moved to the suburbs, which can lead to underfunded public schools that have a number of quality issues. For people with the financial means, sending their kids to private school is often a solution.
Kids often get recruited to private schools for athletic reasons. Many private schools will offer scholarships to kids with top athletic ability, which can be a good reason to send a child there.
In some cases, a private school can be a good idea for a special needs child. There are special needs schools that cater to children with disabilities including mental or physical disabilities. For example, there are schools that specialize in dealing with autistic children, which is a growing category of disability. According to the CDC, about 1 in every 50 school-age children has a form of autism. Such special schools can be a good idea for children who have severe disabilities or very specific needs. On the other hand, regular private schools can sometimes not be the right environment for kids with disabilities. Many small religious schools do not have the resources to provide the same kinds of special education as larger public schools.
Whatever your reason for sending your kids to private school, you must weigh the benefits against any drawbacks, such as the additional costs.
