Public schools are funded by the government, providing a zero-cost tuition. No matter your economic standing, everyone has the right to a free public education. However, this can also be a disadvantage. Government funding is dependent on the taxes paid in the school's surrounding community, meaning that all public schools are not created equal. Affluent suburban areas tend to spend more on education, while rural and urban areas fall behind. This in turn affects music programs, sports and extra-curricular activities causing these programs to be cut altogether in areas where funding is low.
Research how the public school in your areas ranks statewide, as well as nationally, as dropout rates and violence are more prevalent in public schools. Due to budget problems, some public schools experience overcrowding that leads to insufficient classroom space and lack of teachers. Class sizes, in general, tend to be larger in public schools, meaning that some students may not get the individualized attention that they need. However, larger classes provide the advantage of greater diversity among students. Diversity teaches children to get along with students of different ethnicities, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The quality of public school education can depend on the area in which the school is located. While schools may vary in academics and extra-curricular programs, state and federal regulations mandate that curriculum and grading in public schools be the same across the board. Students who attend public school also tend to do better when they get to college, compared to students who attended private schools, according to the University of Michigan. This indicates that the quality of public school education can be just as competitive as a private school education.
Public schools are found even in the most rural of areas, giving students access to education. Many public schools also offer exchange and study abroad programs that allow students to travel experience other cultures. Even in times of funding difficulties, public schools on average, offer more extra-curricular activities than private schools, simply because of greater numbers. Public schools, however, may lack the specificity in the type of study in groups private schools can offer -- such as faith-based schools -- in which "teens can experience agency and address issues of relevance to them, but this peer group is interconnected with adults around a shared worldview," according to a University of Michigan study comparing private and public high schools.