Parents typically want the best options for their children’s education. To meet this goal, some parents decide to send their children to a private school. Statistics show 10% of American students attend a private school. If you live in Texas, and you’re seeking a private school, here are some criteria you should consider before making your final choice for a school.
Make a List of Your Priorities
To know what you’re looking for, list all the crucial criteria for choosing a school. Is tuition cost the most essential factor, or are you willing to pay more for a school with a faith-based curriculum? When you’re listing the things you want, think about everything important to you, including the availability of extracurricular activities or special education services. Once your list is made and ranked by priority, use the list to rank your school choices.
Select Your Preferred Location
In Texas, school districts are not dependent on cities or counties, so they are called independent school districts. Texas residents can use two resources to locate available schools in their independent school district: the Texas Education Directory or the School District Locator. Using these resources, you can find the requirements of each available school. Compare the information in those sources with your list of priorities, and you can narrow down your selection.
Check for Accreditation and Curriculum
If your child is currently at the elementary school level, it’s not too early to be concerned about how their elementary school will impact their college choices. To ensure your child the best chance to get into a good college, check to be sure any schools you are considering are accredited. According to D Magazine, most private schools in Texas can gain accreditation from the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. Some private colleges will not accept transcripts from schools that aren’t accredited.
Investigate Faith-Based Schools
If you choose a private school because you want faith to be part of your child’s education, look into the school’s doctrinal statement. For example, Catholic parents may not want their children to learn from a school with a Protestant curriculum. You may want to investigate whether the school requires its teachers to have a doctrinal background similar to its statement of faith. You may also want to know whether the school requires students to attend worship services during class.
Visit Some of Your Potential Choices
After you’ve narrowed your choices to a few preferred choices, you should visit the school. By touring the classrooms and the other rooms, you can get an impression of the school. Your child may be able to see if they might feel comfortable at that school. It’s a good idea for you to also visit the principal or the administration of the school, since they can answer any questions you may have about the school and its educational philosophy.
Evaluate the Financial Aspects
Meeting your family’s costs for basic needs – let alone private school tuition – can be challenging. For example, Texas mandates people who own vehicles must have a minimum of insurance with liability limits of $30,000 per person, up to $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for any property damage. Meeting your financial requirements may cause you to request financial aid from your private school. Private schools offer payment plans or financial assistance, which could make private school affordable for you.
If choosing a private school is important to you, you’ll want to make sure you choose one that’s right for your child. It may interest you that over half the parents with children in public schools would prefer to send them to a private school. Under federal law, if your child attends a private school because of special educational needs, their tuition can be deducted as a medical cost. By examining all your options, you may be able to send your children to the private school of your choice.