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Public Schools

Definition

Public schools are educational institutions funded by local, state, and federal government money which provide free education for students from kindergarten through high school.

Analogy

Consider public schools as your local park. It's open for everyone regardless of who you are or where you come from. It’s maintained using tax dollars so everyone has access to it without paying any additional fees at entry.

Related terms

Charter Schools: These are publicly funded independent schools established by teachers, parents, or community groups under terms of charter with local or national authorities.

School Vouchers: These are certificates issued by government which parents can apply toward tuition at private schools or use to offset costs at other types of educational institutions.

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB): This was a U.S act passed in 2001 aimed at improving performance in U.S primary and secondary schools by increasing standards of accountability.