Home and Private Schools

Even though CCSD offers a top-notch education, some parents still choose to enroll their students in private or home schools. As a certainly viable option, you may choose this for your child. There are many benefits listed below. If you don’t know that much about private or home schooling, then read below to find out more information.

Home Schooling

Among the reasons why parents decide to home-school their children include providing an excellent education, dedicated teachers, education that can be customized to each student and the ability to provide a long-term consistent education plan. Nevada law (NRS 392.070) provides for a waiver of the compulsory attendance laws and procedures for parents/guardians to follow. More information is provided at the Nevada Department of Education website at www.doe.nv.gov/Nevada_Homeschooling/ or contact the Home-school Office of the Clark County School District at (702) 799-8630 (Ext. 323). Another helpful source to reference is the Nevada Home-school Network at www.nevadahomeschoolnetwork.com.

Private and Parochial Schools

Southern Nevada private schools offer parents a wide range of options. Some are strictly early learning while others educate children from pre-K through the eighth or 12th grades. Most schools are co-educational and represent various religious affiliations, including Christian, Jewish, Lutheran or non-denominational. In general, private schools are known for the high standards they set. Teachers expect excellence from students, and students tend to live up to those expectations.

Students who attend private schools can be challenged more in academics, exposed to clearer value systems, given greater access to teachers and may simply feel safer than local public school options. Further research has shown that private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools, private school graduates are more likely than their peers from public schools to have completed advanced-level courses in three academic subject areas and private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor’s or advanced degree by their mid-20s.

Fast Facts about Private Schools

According to the Council for American Private Education, these are a few facts about private schools. One in four schools is a private school and one child in nine attends a private school. Private schools produce an annual savings to taxpayers estimated at more than $48 billion. Ninety percent of private high school graduates attend college, compared to 66 percent of public high school graduates.

Private school students from low socio-economic backgrounds are more than three times more likely than comparable public school students to attain a bachelor’s degree by their mid-20s, meaning that private schools contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty for their students.

Private schools are racially, ethnically and economically diverse. Twenty-three percent of private school students are students of color, and 28 percent are from families with annual incomes under $50,000. Private secondary school students are nearly 50 percent more likely to take AP or IB courses in science and math than public school students. A few tips to know before choosing a private school in Las Vegas include: 1) Parents will need to visit the campus and most likely will need to interview with the school. This will be a great opportunity for both the parents and the school to assure a good fit. 2) Parents will need to complete the application forms for their child to be considered a candidate. 3) Parents need to be prepared to have their children tested and will need to pay for those tests.