Your Neighborhood School

Your neighborhood school is your first option to consider. The school your district assigns your child to is generally determined by where you live. Your neighborhood school offers the advantage of proximity to your home, and a

School Transfers

In Illinois, intradistrict school choice is mandatory. This means that if you think your child would get a better education at another school in your district, you may request a transfer. Transfer requests will be granted on a space-available basis.

You may also have the opportunity to transfer your child to a school in another district. Districts have the option to accept or deny transfers from other districts, so ask the district you wish to transfer to about its policies. See more in the article What You Should Know About School Transfers in Illinois.

The No Child Left Behind Law

Under the federal No Child Left Behind law, you may request to have your child transferred to another school in the same district if your child's current school is classified as "in need of improvement." If your child transfers, the district will pay for transportation costs up to a certain cap. However, not all requests can be granted because other schools in the district may not have the capacity to accept more students.

This problem is especially relevant in some of Illinois' urban areas like Chicago. Chicago has many more students who are allowed to request transfer under NCLB than it has places to put them.

If none of your district's schools have the capacity to accept transfers, the law requires the district to try to form agreements with other districts to allow for transfers.

If your district is unable to immediately provide a transfer, if your transfer request is denied, or if you'd rather not transfer your child, you can still inquire at your school about tutoring, after-school programs, summer school and other programs to help improve your child's performance.

Though Chicago has been largely unable to grant transfer requests, the district did provide tutoring to 57,000 students in 2003. Districts are required to provide these supplemental education services to your child if he attends a school that is "in need of improvement." For more information on the No Child Left Behind Act, see What No Child Left Behind Means for Your Child.

Charter Schools

Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are allowed more flexibility in structuring academic programs, hiring teachers and carrying out other functions. Many appreciate the freedom that charter schools have to experiment with new teaching techniques and curriculum. Check out Charter Schools Offer an Array of Choices. Search here for Illinois Charter Schools.

Magnet Schools

Magnet schools are public schools that offer students a special academic concentration in addition to general studies. Their specialized courses of study draw together a more ethnically, economically and geographically diverse population of students. Illinois ranks among the top in the nation in magnet schools and magnet school enrollment.

Private Schools

Districts provide some services to students of private schools. They provide transportation to school up to a certain capped amount. If the district is not able to provide transportation for a price lower than this cap, the district will give that amount of money to the parents for use toward the cost of transportation. Districts must provide services such as instruction to home-bound students (students who must stay at home due to injury or illness, for example) and language instruction to students who speak limited English. Districts also provide for school health care in private schools and for free or reduced-price lunches in nonprofit private schools.

Families of students pay tuition or, in some cases, students receive scholarships to attend private schools. The teachers, principal, board of directors, and sometimes parents and students decide upon the curriculum, teaching methodology and enrollment requirements. For more information on private schools see Private vs. Public Schools: What's the Difference? and Frequently Asked Questions About Private Schools.

Illinois has over 1,200 private schools. Since each school has its own programs and curriculum, and is not required to report achievement test results, it is hard to compare private schools with public schools. Search private schools in Illinois.

Tuition Tax Credits

Illinois allows families to recoup a small amount of school costs through a tax credit. You can claim a credit for 25 percent of the costs for tuition, books and fees above the first $250. So, if tuition, books and fees are $2,000, you can claim 25 percent of $1,750, which is $437.50. The maximum claim is $500 per family. This applies to both public and private schools.

Alternative Schools

Illinois allows districts to apply to form alternative schools wherein disruptive students may be educated. These alternative schools will benefit those in the normal educational program who will be able to learn without distraction and will allow disruptive students to be educated in an atmosphere that is more concentrated on dealing with their behavioral problems.

Districts may apply for state funding to form an alternative school. They may request funds for additional alternative schools if they need them. The state will pay for operating expenses and transportation to alternative schools just as it does for public schools.

Alternative schools are similar to public schools and their curricula must be consistent with the Illinois Learning Standards. Alternative schools may differ from public schools in location, length of school day, program sequence, pace and instructional activities.

Homeschooling

In Illinois, a home school counts as a private school. The only requirement is that your child be taught the branches of education that he or she would be taught in a public school. The local school district may inquire about the status of the child's education, and a parent need only respond with a written letter of assurance that states the child is getting an adequate education. For more information, check Homeschooling in Illinois and Homeschooling: Key Facts and Resources.

October 2006