It is near the end of the first half of the school year, and there are likely a number of families who are looking at the educational options that are available for their children. From researching the best private elementary schools in the are to exploring options for day schools outside of your district, there are many opportunities that parents need to consider if they want to make a well informed decision.
Although there are many places in the country where the public school in the neighborhood is an excellent options, there are also locations where this is not the case. Starting with the available public schools, in fact, is a great place to begin when you think about where your children will go to school. If you are not satisfied with the free education that is available, then, you might decide to explore the private or charter school options that may be available to families in your area.
What to Know About Day Schools and Their Curriculums
Many day schools and other private schools settings offer specific curriculums. Especially in a time when science, technology, engineering, and math are receiving so much focus, for instance, there are schools that specifically address those disciplines. In contrast, there are also schools that focus on the fine arts. Although none of these schools completely avoid other subjects, it is often important for parents to realize what the focus of a particular school might be.
Knowing, for instance, that the school you are selecting offers the International Baccalaureate means that if you move during the high school years you will be able to find the next school following the same schedule of curriculum, an advantage for families who know that they will be relocating because of work.
What to Know About Day Schools and Their Prices
Family budgets play an important role in the decisions that parents make about the educational choices for their children. And while an expensive day school tuition may not be in the budget for all families, some are able to afford these opportunities. If, however, your family does not have the income to pay for full tuition for the school you want your children to attend, it is important to inquire about scholarship opportunities. In an effort to create a diverse population, for instance, many schools will offer testing that can help qualified students afford even the most expensive of settings. You will not know until you ask, and if you have an exceptionally gifted student there may be many options available.
What to Know About Day Schools and Their School Calendars
It is important to realize that even though the neighborhood public schools may start before Labor Day and end after Memorial Day, it is not safe to just assume this if your are considering a local private day school. The best private schools around you may offer extended calendars, but they may come with additional charges. When families make the decision to send their children to private school settings it is important to realize that you should carefully record school start and end dates, as well as school vacation dates.
Some religious school settings, for instance, may have half days where students are attending chapel or mass for a certain event or holiday. Making sure that the school calendar is considered before planning a family vacation is especially important as older students enter the middle school and high school. And while elementary absences may be tolerated slightly more, many schools have strict attendance requirements for students who have made their way through a competitive application pool. In addition, most schools, including private institutions, have required testing days that are difficult to make up and reschedule.
The latest national statistics indicate that 25% of all U.S. schools are private, but many of these schools are very different from one another. Simply knowing that your best friend’s brother sent his children to a school, then, is not enough. It is important that you attend Open Houses, schedule your own visits and make informed decisions about your child’s education. Whether you are in the process of figuring out what to know about day schools, private charter schools, or charter schools, it is always important to take the time to do your own research and make an informed decision.
