Why Private School Is for Parents Who Value the Arts in Education

4 Ways Private Schools Like STARS Academy Offer a Quality Arts Program

Many parents of children in the public school system have gone through the stress and heartache of seeing a beloved arts program cut entirely or slashed to its budgetary limit. For everyone who believes in the value and transformative power of the arts in education, here are four reasons a private school could be the right choice for you and your family.

4 Ways a Private School Is Uniquely Equipped to Deliver a Quality Arts Education

If you consider the arts an important aspect of education for your child, here are four reasons to consider an arts-based private school.

1. Public School Budget Cuts Put the Arts in Peril

As public schools increasingly feel the squeeze of budget cuts, the arts are often the first to go.

The findings in a 2019 report by Ingenuity, State of the Arts in Chicago Public Schools, reinforce this idea:

● In the 2017–2018 school year, 89% of schools reported having a “dedicated arts budget.” Just one year later, that number dropped significantly to 81%.

● In the 2017–2018 school year, 81% of schools reported having resources available for their art teachers. By the 2018–2019 school year, that number was just 71%.

● Access to high-quality arts education varies greatly by demographics. According to the report, 35% of students had no consistent access to this type of education. Of that group, the students were predominantly economically disadvantaged African Americans.

In a private school specifically developed around the idea of the arts, parents and students don’t have to worry about any decline or loss in that arts program.

2. Private Schools Have Budgetary Discretion

In an arts-based private school, the arts (music, theater, dance, visual art) underpin that school’s curriculum. The arts are not something extra or tacked on. They are integral to how that school helps children learn, process, and think about the world.

One of the key benefits of an arts-based education is that the arts are woven through the core subjects. They bolster and enhance how the students understand and approach subjects like math, reading, and science.

Unlike a public school’s relationship to its funding, private schools have full independence and discretion to allocate budget as they see fit. As long as the school values the arts, you don’t have to worry about your child losing access to that high-quality, transformative curriculum.

It also means students in an arts-based private school are more likely to have access to the resources they need to fully explore and benefit from that curriculum.

That includes:

● A variety of musical instruments

● Stag props

● Costumes

● Art materials (paint, brushes, canvas, clay)

3. Private Schools Enjoy Independent Governance

A public school’s curriculum is largely determined at the state level. Massive, complex bureaucratic systems dictate what should be taught and how.

Private schools, on the other hand, have independent governance. They can determine their own educational programs, processes, and curricula.

As a parent, this means you can select the school that best aligns with how you’d like to see the arts incorporated into the curriculum, and you don’t have to worry about any external parties making changes to that curriculum after you’ve enrolled.

4. Small Class Sizes Promote Higher Engagement

One of the most impactful benefits of a private school is that it’s smaller than most public school settings.

That results in smaller class sizes, more individual attention, and higher engagement with the presented material.

When there are fewer students to manage, there’s simply more time and space for personal attention, individualized guidance, questions, and a deeper exploration of the material.

It also ensures every student can participate in (and benefit from) the school’s artistic activities.

If a given student is interested in music, there will be space to accommodate that. If a student is reluctant to jump on stage, a smaller private school offers a nurturing, safe environment where every student is encouraged to participate and to reap the personal, social, and academic benefits of engaging with the arts.

Is an Arts-Based Private School the Right Place for Your Child?

Are you looking for an arts-based private school based in West Hills, California? Need a school that offers instruction from kindergarten to twelfth grade? Want a program that prioritizes ability-based learning and flexible mixed-age groupings?

Then check out what STARS Academy has to offer!

Feel free to call 818-835-4962 with any questions, or schedule your campus tour today.