What are the differences between traditional public schools, charter schools and private schools? Several audience members asked us questions about how these different school types are funded, enroll students and are accountable to their communities.
Ball State University’s Teachers College Dean Katrina Bulkley said there are a lot of regulations for these school types that require you to dig below the surface to really understand.
“In terms of the differences, I would say that the devil is in the details,” Bulkley said.
But no matter the school type, she said parental involvement makes a huge difference.
“In all three different types of schools, families do play an important role,” Bulkley said. “And when they are in a position to do so, can be very constructive in helping to have quality schools for students.”
What are the different school types? How are they regulated?
Bulkley said — if you think about these school types on a spectrum — one on pole you have traditional public schools, on the other end you have private schools, and somewhere in the middle, leaning closer to traditional public schools, you have charter schools.
Charter schools and traditional public schools are both public schools.
“When the charter school idea was launched, it was really seen as a space for innovation, a space for different types, actually, of teacher control,” Bulkley said.
As a result of that experimentation, charter schools have fewer regulations than traditional public schools. For example, Bulkley points to teacher licensing.
“In Indiana, it’s 90 percent of teachers in a charter school need to be licensed in the same way as those in a traditional public school,” she said.
Traditional public schools serve specific geographic areas — and the state regulates the curriculum, operation and funding of the school corporation.
“There’s a whole bunch of pieces that come with being a traditional public school in terms of how that school operates — in part, to try to ensure some consistency and quality across the state,” Bulkley said.
Private schools have the greatest autonomy of all three school types.
“They are not overseen — for the most part — by the state Department of Education. There are some regulations around safety and such, that any school is accountable for,” Bulkley said.
How do different school types handle enrollment?
Bulkley said one of the biggest misconceptions about charter schools is that they are private schools.
“You’ll often see charter schools lean into that a little bit, with using the term such as ‘academy’ which has historically been associated with private schools,” she said.
Private schools are allowed to have an application process and choose what students are and aren’t allowed to attend.
“Many private schools admit the vast majority of students who apply, but some are highly selective,” Bulkley said.
But charter schools admit students by a lottery.
“By a certain deadline, any family that is interested in having their child enrolled can put their name into the lottery. And then it’s literally some version of picking names out of a hat,” she said.
Traditional public schools are designed to serve a specific geographic area.
“One of the distinctions with [traditional] public schools is that their responsibility is to serve every child in the community that wishes to attend,” Bulkley said.
Traditional public schools may have enrollment caps for students who live outside of the district under Indiana’s open enrollment policies.
Do charter schools and private schools have to admit students with disabilities or English language learners?
Bulkley said if public schools are unable to serve an enrolled student, they have to find an appropriate alternative. That includes charter schools.
“Charter schools do not have discretion over whether or not to serve or admit students with disabilities or students with special needs or students who are English learners,” she said.
The Indiana Constitution mandates that all public schools provide a free education, “equally open to all.”
But private schools aren’t.
“Private schools have a lot of discretion — in general — in determining who they think are the appropriate students for their school,” Bulkley said.
Indiana law restricts regulations on private schools — including those that get public funds through the state’s voucher program.
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What’s the difference between how each type of school handles accountability?
Bulkley said the free market plays a role in accountability for all three school types.
“The primary mechanism for accountability in private institutions — and also an important one in charter schools and, to some extent, traditional public schools — is the power of choice,” she said.
Public schools have their school boards — publicly elected positions in the community that have very specific responsibilities.
“To oversee the district, oversee the superintendent — evaluate the superintendent, and address issues of budget and policy,” Bulkley said.
Charter schools don’t have elected boards — though some have school governing boards.
“In a charter school, you don’t have a community electing a board, but you do have an authorizer,” Bulkley said.
She said another accountability mechanism for charter schools is the renewal process. Indiana code mandates regular renewals, which measures the success of the school and — if it falls short — can revoke the school’s charter.
And private schools are mostly held accountable by that “the power of choice.”
“People call it that ‘market accountability.’ So, that market approach is—is the primary mechanism for accountability for private schools,” Bulkley said.
Bulkley says if families aren’t happy with a school, they can leave the school. And if the school can’t attract students, it can’t operate — regardless of school type or funding.
How are different schools funded?
In an oversimplification of a very complicated process: Traditional public schools are funded by a combination of state dollars, local property taxes and — for some districts — school referendums.
The state funding is determined by the State Tuition Support formula. It divvies up the funding lawmakers budget every two years for traditional public schools and charter schools in the state. And starting in 2028, all traditional public schools statewide will begin sharing property tax revenue with eligible charter schools in their district.
READ MORE: Why do some schools need referendums? Expert says property tax caps complicate funding
Private schools have been, historically, funded by tuition costs, Bulkley said.
“In recent years, that has shifted a little bit. And more and more states are providing different kinds of opportunities for funding support for students who are attending private schools,” Bulkley said.
Indiana’s school voucher program, the Choice Scholarship Program, gives families money to offset the costs of a private school education. The state’s new two-year budget removes income caps on the program, which lawmakers estimate could cost around $93 million its first year.
According to the voucher program’s most recent annual report, Indiana spent roughly $439 million on its voucher program for the 2023-24 school year.
Lauren is our digital editor. Contact her at lauren@ipbnews.org or follow her on Bluesky at @laurenechapman.bsky.social.