Does More School Choice Improve Safety?

Why do parents seek private school options?

If you review the results of any parent survey you’ll likely find that parents list safety as their top reason why they chose to leave their local school district. Whether it’s threats of physical violence in school, overzealous discipline, or widespread bullying, parents often look for school settings where their child is safe.

In a study released earlier this month, Edchoice found:

“After controlling for student and school factors such as school type, student enrollment,
percent of students eligible for the federal free and reduced-price lunch, the percent of minority
students and teachers, and urbanicity, we find robust evidence to suggest that private schools and
charter schools experience fewer discipline problems while employing fewer disciplinary
practices and expelling fewer students than traditional public schools.”

This particular study is based on data collected from Indiana schools.