How many days of school are there in private schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they significantly less than public schools?

Not enough.

[Anonymous]

We are in PA. PA state requires 180 days for public or private. Our school is considered one of the top (maybe the top?) private in PA. It is not accredited by the states, instead it is accredited by various independent school associations. Our school is in session about 150 days a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools are 180 and private schools are 170.

That 170 number might be common or a legal requirement in some states, but it is far from being a universal requirement. Some states levy no minimum number of days if the school is private. A religious school claiming the school is a “ministry” would be exempt anyway, due to the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution. Local privates VARY in how many school days there are in each school year. No fixed number-of-days rule exists across the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in PA. PA state requires 180 days for public or private. Our school is considered one of the top (maybe the top?) private in PA. It is not accredited by the states, instead it is accredited by various independent school associations. Our school is in session about 150 days a year.

In most states, private and religious schools are outside the scope of State government “accreditation”. In most states, any private school is accredited by a regional accreditation body rather than by the state. The Commonwealth of Virginia does not concern itself with “accrediting” any private school, for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Compared to FCPS, my kid's school starts one week later and ends two weeks earlier. We're on a trimester system and each trimester there are three teacher workdays (includes parent conferences).

The breaks are 1 full week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, and 2 weeks for spring break. But other than the breaks and workdays, and Federal holidays, the kids are in school.

And I would guess your private also has fewer of the miscellaneous school-closed for teacher training (or whatever else) days than FCPS has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:State of Virginia requires 180 for accredited private schools.

Except that (most) privates aren’t really accredited by the commonwealth, or inspect3d by the Commonwealth, but instead usually are accredited by the Southern Association of Schools & Colleges, which I think has a new name…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:State of Virginia requires 180 for accredited private schools.

Except that (most) privates aren’t really accredited by the commonwealth, or inspect3d by the Commonwealth, but instead usually are accredited by the Southern Association of Schools & Colleges, which I think has a new name…

Our VA private is accredited through the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compared to FCPS, my kid's school starts one week later and ends two weeks earlier. We're on a trimester system and each trimester there are three teacher workdays (includes parent conferences).

The breaks are 1 full week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, and 2 weeks for spring break. But other than the breaks and workdays, and Federal holidays, the kids are in school.

And I would guess your private also has fewer of the miscellaneous school-closed for teacher training (or whatever else) days than FCPS has.

LOL. no misc long weekends, half days, late starts, early dismissal Wednesdays, sub teachers, elongated breaks in DC private schools. No siree bob.

[Anonymous]

The more you pay, the less they go. This was my dad’s saying years ago when sending 4 kids to college. Feel right to me as a private school parent

[Anonymous]

The school year overall is shorter at our private than MCPS. Starts one week later, one additional week for winter break, and ends one week earlier. That said the school day is longer, so I think it's all the same. Plus there seem to be fewer random breaks in schedule, and childcare is provided for conferences and the like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But you also have to consider hours per day.

Which has longer hours, public or private? Thogjt it was the same

Our private school day is a solid hour longer than the nearby public. The school year is shorter, but with an extra hour every day, they get more instructional time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But you also have to consider hours per day.

Which has longer hours, public or private? Thogjt it was the same

Our private school day is a solid hour longer than the nearby public. The school year is shorter, but with an extra hour every day, they get more instructional time.

Really? Do they have all core subjects every single day? My experience is that privates try to incorporate more specials so it ends up the core classes are meeting less often than in public (only 4 days a week instead of 5 for example).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compared to FCPS, my kid's school starts one week later and ends two weeks earlier. We're on a trimester system and each trimester there are three teacher workdays (includes parent conferences).

The breaks are 1 full week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, and 2 weeks for spring break. But other than the breaks and workdays, and Federal holidays, the kids are in school.

And I would guess your private also has fewer of the miscellaneous school-closed for teacher training (or whatever else) days than FCPS has.

LOL. no misc long weekends, half days, late starts, early dismissal Wednesdays, sub teachers, elongated breaks in DC private schools. No siree bob.

Lucky you. We have a ton of special days that are a noon dismissal and then commencement which is even earlier. Childcare is a joke for middle school age kids