But the world of private schools is more complicated than its apologists would have us believe. The term private school covers a multitude of educational alternatives. Private schools constitute 25 percent of all elementary and secondary schools. The overall percentage of students who attend private schools has been remarkably stable over time. Since the 1960s the big loser in terms of students and schools has been the Roman Catholic Church.
Private schools tend to be very small.
Half enroll fewer than 150 students. Less than 3 percent enroll more than 750 students. Most of the larger schools are Catholic. The diversity in the private school sector is striking. In the past 20 years I have visited scores of private schools.