10-17-2016, 01:56 AM
The average cost of private schools is kept down because few of them educate secondary level students. Elementary is relatively cheap to offer, secondary requires more teachers and specialized facilities like science labs, which are more expensive. Private schools also are not required to hire certified teachers, religious based schools often don't even require college degrees, or accept degrees from diploma mill bible colleges.
Excluding special education students makes a huge difference, the state spends a big portion of of the DOE budget on those few students: special ed teachers, speech therapists, physical therapists, reading specialists, mental health caregivers, and self contained classrooms with very low student teacher ratios all run up the average costs of DOE schools. Private schools indeed cherry pick their students, excluding any who might need extra services.
Excluding special education students makes a huge difference, the state spends a big portion of of the DOE budget on those few students: special ed teachers, speech therapists, physical therapists, reading specialists, mental health caregivers, and self contained classrooms with very low student teacher ratios all run up the average costs of DOE schools. Private schools indeed cherry pick their students, excluding any who might need extra services.