My son attends a traditional public school and my daughter attends a public charter school. It is worth looking into other schools to see what best meets each kid's needs.

Traditional public schools are free to attend and open to all students. Many families exercise school choice by moving to a community to attend a particular public school. Some public school corporations offer families choices through magnet schools or career and technical education. And most public-school districts allow students to transfer to another school within their district or accept students from different school districts.

To see a list of public schools that accept transfer students, click here.

Charter schools are public schools. They are tuition-free and open to all students, regardless of where they live. Charter schools have more flexibility in their curriculum and operations than traditional public schools. In exchange, charters have high accountability standards and may lose their ability to operate (their “charter”) at any time if they are low performing. There are more than 120 charter schools throughout Indiana serving approximately 51,000 students.

View a list of all charter schools operating in Indiana here.

Private schools are created and operated by private groups, and often focus on a set of core values or beliefs. Many private schools are faith-based or affiliated with a particular church or religion. Private schools use selective admissions processes and charge tuition to attend. A student must apply for admission and pay to attend a private school. Indiana offers most families financial assistance for tuition through Choice Scholarships (vouchers), tax credit scholarships and education scholarship accounts (ESAs). Learn more about these programs and see if your family qualifies for financial assistance here.

Virtual schools may be public or private. Public virtual schools are a free option for Indiana families. Families who choose a private virtual school are eligible for the same financial assistance for tuition as those who choose a brick and mortar private school. Many school districts also operate online schools as an option. These virtual schools are accredited and available to students in grades K-12.

Parents can choose to educate their children at home. This type of education is parent-directed and parent-funded. Homeschooling is legal in one form or another in all 50 states, but each state has its own statutes and regulations governing the practice. Families who homeschool their children may be eligible for a tax deduction. For more information on homeschooling in Indiana, visit the Indiana Association of Home Educators.