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If you’re considering sending a child to private school, you’ve likely seen some glossy photos and lofty mission statements. But marketing brochures and admissions websites rarely tell you the bad stuff — like a principal with a concerning history, lawsuits filed by families, or financial instability that could shutter a school in the middle of the school year.

Parents have told us they assume authorities conduct safety and quality checks of private schools like they would for public ones. Our reporting shows that is often not the case. Many states take a hands-off approach, essentially leaving it to you to figure out if a school has problems. Advocates for systems that send public money to private schoolshave saidthe bestaccountability checkon private schools is that families can leave if they are dissatisfied.

What’s ProPublica?

ProPublica is a nonprofit news organization. We write stories in the public interest, includingabout education. Our stories have spurred reform andreal-worldchangesfor students. All of our stories are rigorously fact-checked, nonpartisan and free to read.

What do you know about private schools?

I’m Mollie Simon, aresearch reporterat ProPublica. We find information through news reports, public records requests, tips from experts and readers, and sometimes through pure elbow grease. For example, we took the time to compare lists of certified teachers who had been disciplined to lists of private school operators in eight states, to check for examples of people moving from public schools to private schools after being accused of wrongdoing.

This is why our team at ProPublica — a nonprofit newsroom focused on investigative journalism in the public interest — has spent months digging into the expanding private school landscape. We’ve used data, public records, court cases and countless interviews to investigate hundreds of schools, and we’ve uncovered some with serious issues. These include aschool in Arkansasthat’s still operating after its founder was accused of running a “makeshift ‘Fight Club,’” and a former superintendent fired for mismanaging charter school money in the Midwest who was able to receive public funds in Florida.

(The Arkansas school founder did not respond to interview requests and questions from ProPublica, and the school’s new education director said the founder is no longer involved in school operations. The former charter school superintendent told a reporter she had acted with board approval and spent money on kids and to develop and retain staff, saying auditors created a “false narrative” of her actions.)

We’ve learned from experience that it’s difficult to piece together a complete picture of any school, even if you’re an investigative reporter. Some states have stronger laws and provide better information than others. But we’ve also found that no matter where you live, there are free public records, databases and verification techniques that can prove useful. We’ve written this guide to pass on a few lessons we’ve learned. We hope it will help you spot red flags and make informed decisions for your family.

If you end up finding something interesting in your research,please let us know. We’re still reporting!

Table of Contents

How do I begin?

Where you live will determine what private school records are available. Before starting to examine a specific school, it’s good to get a sense of local regulations.

Who runs this private school?

It’s important for you to know who makes the decisions about a school’s operations. This could be the principal, or it might be a different person or a board. The school could also be run by a larger organization. To find out:

Who will be teaching my student?

The requirements — if any exist — for becoming a private school teacher vary by state. ProPublica recently reported on an example ofa woman who pled no contest to felony child abuse in Florida and lost her teaching license, but was still able to then open a private school. Community members called attention to her history, which was findable online.

Is the private school financially stable?

If a school has money trouble and closes, it could leave you in thelurch midyear. Some states require private schools participating in voucher programs to demonstrate some form offinancialsoundness. If a state doesn’t require such information, it can be difficult for families to gain visibility into a school’s financial situation.

How can I assess the quality of the education?

How will my student’s learning be assessed?

Underfederal law, public schools are required to assess student performance in reading, math and science and must inform parents about the results. There’s no such federal law for private schools.

Has this school been sued?

If something goes wrong at a private school, families may turn to the courts. The existence of a lawsuit or complaint does not confirm wrongdoing, but suits can help you learn more about other people’s experiences and potential concerns. We’ve found examples of court cases showing criminal history, broken financial contracts and complaints from prior employees.

You might also find lawsuits where schools are the ones pursuing families, which can give you a lens into how they handle enrollment contracts. For instance,The Washington Post reportedon cases of schools suing families over tuition disputes.

How does the school’s student body compare to the community?

If you are trying to get a sense of the student body of a school, check ProPublica’sPrivate School Demographicsdatabase. This data is based on the federalPrivate School Universe Survey, which is voluntary, so not all schools have participated. Note that the survey is only conducted every two years, so the information may not be current. Our database also compares private schools’ demographics to those of their local public school districts.

Some state departments of education, like Louisiana’s, also maintaindemographic databy school.

School handbooks may also provide information on whether a school serves all students or may exclude some groups, like those with disabilities or LGBTQ+ parents from admissions.

What have other families said about this school?

In investigative reporting, there is no substitute for talking to people. As you try to vet a private school, one of the best resources will be past and current families or alumni.

Could government agencies have records available to the public?

Even in states that do not regulate private schools, families may turn to the government when things go wrong, creating records you might be able to locate.

Find Something Interesting? Want to Help Us Report on Schools?

If you found anything interesting while researching schools in your area, or want to share your experience with voucher-style programs, we’d like to hear from you.

Corrections

Asia Fields,Megan O’Matz,Jennifer Berry Hawes,Jennifer Smith RichardsandJodi S. Cohencontributed reporting.

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