Students have many options to attend school such as homeschooling, private school, or the most widely known, public school, but of the places to learn, what is the best option?
Many kids see the appeal of homeschooling. According to John Hopkins School of Education, 5.3% of Wyoming’s K-12 students were homeschooled during the 2022-23 school year. That would be about 5,000 students who chose to do schooling at their homes. Why do they choose this option? Forbes said, “In many cases, homeschooling is a choice made by families seeking more flexibility, personalized instruction, or alignment with their values and beliefs about education.”
As good as these things seem, there are some negatives to being homeschooled. A homeschooled student here in the valley- who would like to remain anonymous- said that one thing they don’t like is the stereotypes surrounding homeschoolers. When asked what this student thought about public schools, they said they were unconstitutional then explained by referring back to the history of the constitution, and the discussions they had revolving around education and the government’s role in it. They also acknowledged that they have the same opinion about private schools as public schools.
Although there aren’t many private schools around us, “private schools account for 25 percent of the nation’s schools and enroll 10 percent of all PK-12 students,” according to the CAPE network. The benefit of private schools is that the students have a more flexible and enriched education.
Senior Merik Berry is a private school student at Jefferson Academy Secondary School in Colorado and cousin of sophomore Eden Adams. He said, “I don’t like how small the school is in general. I wish there were more people to interact with.” When asked what he thought about homeschooling, Berry thought it might be “faster and more efficient” while he imagines public schools have an advantage because “there’s more people.”
The majority of students in the United States go to public schools, such as Star Valley High School. According to Niche, Lincoln County School District is ranked number 8 of 48 school districts in Wyoming.
Students in public schools are given more opportunities with their electives and classes, and they can meet more people and make more friends. But like everything else, it has its negatives. Cambrie Heiner, a sophomore at SVHS said, “I don’t like how you get detention or makeup even when you’re a straight-A student for missing school.”
About homeschooling, Heiner said, “I think homeschooling would be nice because it would help you manage your time.”
Different types of schools have various benefits and different drawbacks. As more choices become available, students will always need to decide their best option for learning.