Private vs. Public School? NJ Spotlight Map Pinpoints Numbers
Use a new interactive map to plot percentage of students attending private school.
Private vs. public school? With an average tuition of about $20,000, that's the million dollar question for parents considering the extra cost. What’s been their answer? A new interactive map created by NJ Spotlight shows the percentage of kids attending private schools across New Jersey. (See the map here)
To find out how many students in your community are attending private school, simply click on a municipality. You'll see the total number of children in grades K-12, along with breakdowns of the percentages of children going to public and private schools in three categories - kindergarten, elementary, and high school -- as well as the totals.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates attendance in public and private schools as part of the American Community Survey. Statewide, the data shows that 12.3 percent of all students attend private schools.
West Orange attendance in private schools is higher than the average at 19.4 percent. A look at other Essex County communities finds Millburn with 15.6 percent of its students going to private schools - rising to 24.8 percent for private high school.
Continue reading and use the map @ NJ Spotlight Interactive Map.
A sampling of Essex County towns, including Livingston, that are above the state average include:
Livingston
Total students: 5,899
Pct. to private school: 12.9
Pct. to public school: 87.1
Pct. to public kindergarten: 90.4
Pct. to private kindergarten: 9.6
Pct. to public elementary: 89.3
Pct. to private elementary: 10.7
Pct. to public HS: 82.2
Pct. to private HS: 17.8
West Orange
Total students: 8,038
Pct. to private school: 19.4
Pct. to public school: 80.6
Pct. to public kindergarten: 71.6
Pct. to private kindergarten: 28.4
Pct. to public elementary: 83.5
Pct. to private elementary: 16.5
Pct. to public HS: 76.6
Pct. to private HS: 23.4
West Caldwell
Total students: 1,794
Pct. to private school: 10.0
Pct. to public school: 90.0
Pct. to public kindergarten: 81.2
Pct. to private kindergarten: 18.8
Pct. to public elementary: 94.6
Pct. to private elementary: 5.4
Pct. to public HS: 82.6
Pct. to private HS: 17.4
Caldwell
Total students: 1,161
Pct. to private school: 12.1
Pct. to public school: 87.9
Pct. to public kindergarten: 74.1
Pct. to private kindergarten: 25.9
Pct. to public elementary: 91.2
Pct. to private elementary: 8.8
Pct. to public HS: 92.3
Pct. to private HS: 7.7
Hugh Mahon
12:11 pm on Sunday, February 5, 2012
The move to private school is a "choice" made for reasons often motivated by incentives beyond academic achievement. Religion is the most compelling with sports focus ranking high as a reason to seek a private placement. Behavior and discipline also factor in as reasons to choose a particular institution. And special needs are serviced by another level of private school. We must not forget one of the original reasons for the choice for an exclusive "academy'. The oportunity to associate with a strata of the population that can afford this kind of exclusive educational environment.
All of these reasons represent an alternative open to those who are able to afford such a choice through wealth or sacrafice. while the public system was instituted as a pillar of our countries commitment to the education for all. This commitment fosters an increasingly better educated general population. But only if that education is valued.