"Public"	Church	Private
Run by:	governments	committees	individuals
Management:	bureaucratic	committee	proprietary
Teachers:	Must pass certain education courses and be certified by state bureaucracy	Must meet the often picky requirements set by school and church	Must meet the very picky requirements set by school owners
Administrators:	Constitutes a large proportion of total staff	No more than are necessary to meet the needs of the school	No more than are necessary to meet the needs of the school
Accountability:	low (inertia, morass of regulations, principals have little power and parents have even less)	Rather high (religious mandate sometimes encumbers decisions on pedagogy and discipline)	Very high (schools that do not deliver or are not responsive to parents do not survive)
Cost per pupil expenditures:	Over $5,000 annually	Under $3000 annually depending on degree of church support	Under $3000 annually in Owensboro--twice this nationally
Accreditation:	automatic--all "public" schools, regardless of quality, are accredited by the state and usually regional bodies.	Depends on school--accrediting agencies are not very demanding; larger church schools usually have some form of it.	The highest accreditation possible: the continuing esteem of a very particular parent body
Academic achievement scores:	Comparable to the state of Kentucky, a little above average	Varies with school; Catholic and Heritage are well above average	Well above average; individual percentiles tend to rise
Represented in our area by:	•Owensboro Public Schools •Daviess County Schools	•Owensboro Catholic Consolidated Schools •Heritage Christian •other	•Triplett School

Academic learning is only one part of preparing for adulthood; development of the social skills, ambition, and character to function as a civilized adult are even more important. For this reason, parents who strongly care about their children's future typically inquire into both academics and "social climate." The Owensboro and Daviess County school systems are largely free of the disastrous academics, ineradicable drug concerns, mortal safety hazards, prison-like discipline, impersonal teacher/student relations, and pathetically conventional values that are endemic in the metropolitan and inner-city schools we hear about on the news. In the public schools of our area you can get a "good" education with no more than ordinary concerns. If you are looking for an educational experience that is exceptional and predictable, you should consider the nonpublic schools that are available. Families for whom Catholic religious instruction is important should seriously consider our local Catholic schools. They are part of a large, widely respected system offering instruction kindergarten through high school. Owensboro Consolidated Catholic Schools offers a "traditional" curriculum and pedagogy, with academic achievement scores well above local averages. Non-Catholic families eager to embrace a "traditional" discipline and science instruction that omits evolution will be interested in Heritage Christian School (sponsored by Heritage Baptist Church) which scores high in basics; or one of the other protestant schools, such as Good Shepherd/Majesty. If you are looking for a school which leaves religion in the hands of each child's family and pursues well defined academic and personal objectives, then, of course, consider Triplett School. Owensboro Consolidated Catholic Schools Owensboro Public Schools Daviess County Public Schools Heritage Christian School, 3585 Thruston-Dermont Road, 270-685-4002 Good Shepherd School/Majesty High, 3031 Bittel Road, 270-683-3223 Other church schools (small schools often don't advertise; inquire locally about what is available) The homeschooling option