There are a lot of important discussions that go into choosing which school your child will attend. For many families the choice is not just about school, but about finding the right community to fit their children’s needs. This often begs the question, “do we want a public or private education for our kids?” Any number of factors can impact parents decision on this matter, but we find that some of the same issues keep popping up each year.

Here are three situations in which parents commonly choose private education over their other options.

1. Gifted Or Special Needs Child
All children are unique and special, but if your child falls far enough outside of the center of a bell curve you might be hard pressed to find a public school with the capacity to meet his or her needs. For instance, many gifted children can end up lost and unchallenged in a large public school classroom. For these children, the unique and intimate environment of private education is often the perfect place to keep them challenged and excited about their education.

Additionally, parents who have children with special needs (including physical, emotional, or educational needs) can also find a safe space in private schools for their children. With a much lower student to teacher ratio, private schools often have many more resources available to children who need specialized attention.

2. Don’t Like The School We’re Zoned For
We hear frequently from families who just don’t like the school their children are zoned to attend. This can be a disheartening discovery and a difficult issue to resolve. Instead of finagling with the system to have your child transferred to another public school, many families opt to send their children to a private school instead. After all, most families are not willing to pack up and move so your child can attend a better school.

3. Strong Family Values
The choice that a family makes to place their faith and their values at the center of their lives is an all-encompassing one. Because of that, many parents want their children to grow academically in an environment that also nurtures their spiritual lives. In private education, parents feel confident that their children are learning in an environment that is in keeping with the values they teach in their homes. A private school’s ability to weave lessons of faith and values into the school day is a key reason that many families opt for private education over public education.

The decision to send your child into public or private education is one that many families consider each year. We find that for many families, the situations above are central to that decision-making process. If you’re looking for the best fit school for your family, give us a call today.