For some families the choice is easy. They’ve already decided their children are going to either public or private school and there is very little other decision making required. But for most families, it isn’t that simple. They must weigh the cost, quality, and accessibility of their children’s education, and in our experience, those decisions often come down to the following four issues.

1. When You Don’t Like Your Public Option
For some families choosing private education comes as a result of a bad experience with public schools. Their children aren’t fitting in, aren’t challenged enough, or are struggling to excel in large public school classrooms. So, private school is the obvious choice. Whether your local public school is too big, too chaotic, or something in between you can rest assured that private education is a more suitable option for many families.

2. When Faith Is A Priority
There is a lot of debate about the role that religion should play in public schools. We won’t get into that here, but we know that families in our community love St. Barnabas because faith is a central part of our day. If faith-based education is a priority for you, the only choice (outside of your own home) is to educate your children in a private school.

3. When Your Child Falls Outside Of Average
Whether your child falls above or below “average,” she may find herself needing more dedicated attention than is available in large public schools. Frequently gifted students report being bored or understimulated by content that is not challenging enough. This can be remedied in a small classroom environment where teachers have more time to implement differentiated instruction. On the other end of the spectrum are students who struggle academically, and those students also benefit from more individual attention afforded to them in private education.

4. When You Want Your Child To Learn A Skill
Finally, some private schools excel in teaching specific subjects, or have successful athletics or performing arts programs you want your children to participate in. Choosing a private school based upon the specific opportunities they can provide for students is common.

We’re not naive enough to think that private education is the choice for all families. Nor do we want to insinuate that public schools cannot offer quality education. Neither of these ideas is true. However, we do believe (as demonstrated in our students) that there are specific situations in which private education makes the most sense. If you find your family falling into one of the categories above, reach out to us for more information about how we can help your student succeed.