A school that is controlled by an individual or organization not affiliated with government, usually supported by tuition and fees paid by the student’s family and other donations from the public. Normally, they are not funded by tax revenue but may be required to pay tax if they are proprietary schools.
A school that is under the control of a person, board, or agency not responsible to the public and that is not primarily supported by federal funds; sometimes a school of choice; an alternative to a public school. Parents send their children to private schools for a wide variety of reasons. Many want their children to be taught in a religious context, as in a Catholic parochial school, a Protestant Christian-oriented school, or a school for Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, or other groups. Some wish to have the child taught in a more tightly disciplined, structured setting, while others, conversely, want the child to be freer to develop with individualized or independent learning, as might be provided in an alternative school. Some parents are simply dissatisfied with the quality of the education offered in their local schools and so opt for private schools; others are unhappy with busing and desegregation plans. Some parents choose a private school primarily for the prestige or intensive academic programs, as in preparatory schools, and some are attempting to meet special needs of students, such as those with severe learning disabilities.