Millions of people in the USA today follow and practice a religious faith and Catholicism is one faith entire families choose to follow throughout a lifetime.
US schools that hold prayer and also teach the Catholic faith have long been in existence in all American states providing k12 education to all age school children.
Religious Catholic schools in US states are private run by aegis or with the Catholic Church, not funded, directed or operated by the state or school district. American private Catholic schools charge fees, adopt selective admission policies and can be for profit or charity school.
What makes US Catholic schools private?
In USA k12 Catholic schools are private where the church and others provide student’s education and not publicly run, operated or funded by the school district or state, have selective admission and student fees are charged.
Catholic ethos private schools have much smaller class sizes restrictions leading to teacher student ratio that’s lower than public school giving students more personal attention and input from a teacher in each subject.
Parents opting for a Catholic ethos US school education for a child require choosing a fee payment or financial contribution school as it’s not free. School tuition fees are payable each semester and additional cost for registration and enrolment at some Catholic schools.
Independent decision making by schools
A private Catholic faith schools can make many of its own decisions on how the school is run.
They can, and do in cities around America adopt a policy of co-educational student’s classes at high school level and single gender teaching at elementary age if they decide it’s for the good of teaching, students education and school.
Additionally, private Catholic religious schools are not constrained by the subjects they teach students and can decide the amount of teaching hours per educational subject.
School admission policy
Students have no automatic right to be offered a place to study at a US Catholic school as the school doesn’t require admitting a child, and in fact turn applicants down for enrolment. Each Catholic school in America has formal admission procedures they follow, including testing and interview.
Parents can choose to pay tuition fees and send they’re child to have a faith centered education or be in a different k12 educational environment other than USA public state school system.
There’s no student automatic right of admission at a private faith school like when a child has the right to attend a local elementary or public high school in the neighborhood.
A school can ask for previous school records and documentation in relation to practicing faith not required at a US district public school.
Catholic school teachers
All Catholic schools can recruit qualified class teachers and administrators to work and teach at the school according to teaching profession rules & regulations and the churches own policies.
Teachers at Catholic faith schools are paid a different salary & benefits package; agree alternative terms & working conditions and salaries are paid by the school and not from state funds or tax payer’s money.
How and by whom Catholic schools are operated
American Catholic prep elementary and high schools receive overall direction, regulations, guidance from the church or other organization, although operate day to day by appointed individual school administrator at each school.
Religious faith teaching & prayer
Religious education is integrated into the Catholic school curriculum, making up a small part of class lessons as well as prayers which it sets itself apart from public school where they don’t have dedicated religious teaching or mass.
Students and teachers have whole school assembly school days with prayer and religious teaching as guidance. Additionally, as the ethos of the private school is Catholic they can, and do hold Catholic Church faith events and gatherings for prayer and rejoice at certain times of the year which is not conducted at elementary or high public schools in America.
School funding & finances
For each private elementary or high school that’s Catholic funding is mainly from the church, other financing organization, individual school tuition fees or donations.
Finances available to operate each Catholic school are not equal as it also depends on total enrollment of students and they’re annual school fees paid and parent contributions towards tuition and other educational fees.
Student scholarships are available for a small select few children from poorer backgrounds to attend k12 Catholic school providing free tuition.
Private school sports participation
Are all private schools in USA catholic?
Main difference between public and private US schools
- K12 American public schools at kindergarten to high school age are free tuition and attendance, where catholic school is not.
- USA school district run, oversee, set standards, rules & regulations at public high school down to kindergarten, although the district government has no say or role day to day at a religious school that’s in the private sector.
- Public k12 schools are financed by the local government where catholic private k12 education is not.
- Government schools are owned by the local district/state in US where private k12’s are owned by the church, charity, not profit or commercial organization.
- Public US schools have no entry requirements, such as student testing and interview that private sector school has.
- US government public school district education has far greater class sizes set by the district than private education provider can choose smaller student teaching classes.