In as much as the debate about magnet school vs charter school has been thoroughly over-flogged and the differences stated, there are still misconceptions about both setups and how they are really operated since they are considered to be alternative options to the conventional ones known to all and sundry. This piece looks to examine both systems and provide a guide to US public education, as stated in the topic.

What is a public school in the USA?

Public school, also called state school, is generally known to be run by the government of a particular country, state or vicinity. In the US, they are not funded or controlled by the federal government in any way. Each of them is controlled by the Department of Education in each state, hence, the policies directing each of them differs in its execution and implementation.

How are public school funded?

This has been a recurring question among some sets of individuals, particularly parents and guardians who have wards in these institutions. To accurately answer this question, it is pertinent to note that although the federal government does not directly fund them the dispensation of funds to the state government still goes a long way in determining how funds will get to the educational system in its state.

Apart from allocations from federal government funding, the state government also funds public schools through lotteries, income and property taxes. The local government also contribute their quota through their taxation systems also. At an average of $12,000 being spent on a student per annum, the United States is one of the top countries in the world with a high funding percentile for its education.

How much does public school cost?

Due to the fact that they are funded differently, have different administrators, varying policies and infrastructure, all these aforementioned points will account for variation in the cost of schooling in every public school in the US. The kind of neighborhood and the cost of living in such an environment aren’t left out in the metrics taken into account in order to determine the cost of a state school. For example, it costs about $6000 to sponsor a student’s education in a public school in Utah and thrice that amount for those in New York.

Basically, tuition is free for students, but parents might be required to pay some extra fees like supplies, excursions, field trips, etc.

How many public schools are there in the US?

According to The National Centre for Education Statistics, there are 98,277 public schools in the whole of the USA. Elementary schools were totaled to be 66,758, making up about 68% of the total number. Secondary or High School were tallied at 24,040 and others that do not operate by grade span such as magnet and charter, including those providing alternative and special education were estimated to be 691. The recent release in 2019 date these statistics to be correct as of the 2015-2016 annual session and they accommodate 50.7 million students.

What is a Magnet School?

This is a kind of public school that does not bind students by their location to their environment. They have been established by the government to provide students with an opportunity to learn from a theme-based curriculum and a unique environment to provide effective learning strategies for students.

Their instructional methods differ from the regular methods focusing on specialized areas of interest, and due to the fact that the prospective students aren’t bound by location, magnets attract students of different race, academic and socio-economic backgrounds hereby giving a diverse learning environment.

As mentioned earlier, outlined below are some of the educational themes focused upon:

Immersion and non-immersion World Languages;

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM);

International Relations and Studies;

Career and Technology Education and;

Fine and Performing Arts;

Apart from the theme-based learning, that magnet schools are characterized by, the soft skills, innovation prowess, teamwork and cooperation that they instill in students – makes them outstanding and desired by lots of people just like academic writing service.

Best magnet schools in the US

How good a high school is, in accordance with its impact on students can go a long way in preparing them for college. Taking magnet institutions into consideration and ranking them based on their college readiness, curriculum breadth, math and reading proficiency and performance, underserved student performance and graduation rate of their students. U.S. News, in conjunction with RTI International, developed the ranking methodologies for rating the qualities of educational institutions. Below are the 2019 rankings of the top 5 Magnet schools:

Academic Magnet High School #1 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

100 rating score for College Readiness and;

658 Enrollment for Grades 9-12.

Maine School of Science and Mathematics #2 on National Rankings;

94% Graduation;

100 rating score for College Readiness and;

145 Enrollment for Grades 9-12.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: #4 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

100 rating score for College Readiness and;

1,789 Enrollment for Grades 9-12.

Central Magnet School #5 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

96.5 rating score for College Readiness and;

807 Enrollment for Grades 9-12.

International Academy of Macomb #8 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

100 rating score for College Readiness and;

484 Enrollment for Grades 9-12.

What is a Charter School?

They are tuition-free, funded by the government and managed privately. One might argue, what then is the difference between charter vs private? Although charters are privately run, they are entirely non-profit and are usually allowed more flexibility in enacting their own policies in accordance with their charters.

They are usually established by private groups, universities, businesses or faith-based organizations and are non-profit. Others are established by management or organizations that manage multiple institutions which can either be for profit reasons or not.

The admission and teaching policies of charter school vs public school are very similar. They do not require any admission tests, interviews, discriminate against race or faith beliefs since they are considered as state schools by the United States Department of Education.

Best charter schools in the US

Using the same metrics as with the magnet schools and delivered by U.S News in conjunction with RTI International. Below are the top 5 charters in the US:

BASIS Scottsdale: #3 on National Rankings;

99% Graduation;

100 rating score for College Readiness and;

313 Enrollment for Grade 9-12.

Haas Hall Academy: #7 on National Rankings;

97% Graduation;

96.1 rating score for College Readiness and;

236 Enrollment for Grade 9-12.

Signature School: #10 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

96.9 rating score for College Readiness and;

361 Enrollment for Grade 9-12.

BASIS Chandler: #18 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

98.8 rating score for College Readiness and;

285 Enrollment for Grade 9-12.

BASIS Peoria: #21 on National Rankings;

100% Graduation;

100 rating score for College Readiness and;

186 Enrollment for Grade 9-12.

What is the Difference Between a Magnet and Charter School?

Although magnet vs charter debates might end in a deadlock, there are actually a couple of distinct differences between both of them. One very key and crucial difference is the fact that magnet institutions are theme-based and focus on a specified curriculum centered around a theme while charter ones use the generic curriculum operated by others. As a parent or guardian, your education level does not matter as there are also charters that the majority claim to fill up the void adult education is yet to fill.

Another key difference is their administration and funding. While they both get funding from the government, charter schools are actually privately-run and allowed more flexibility over the implementation of policies – most times going by what is stated in their charter. Charter institutions also receive less funding from the government than magnet ones and at times get monetary support from private organizations, groups or individuals.

Now that these two – magnet and charter schools – have been well compared, it is left for every parent, guardian or ward to make the best decision based on funding, location, interests, and quality of education that is preferred.