The dozen or so military prep academies in the United States are privately owned and very exclusive. There are also four prep academies affiliated with the four branches of the U.S. armed forces. Some privately owned military schools work with teens who have behavioral problems but no learning disabilities. In military schools and prep academies, the environment is much more structured than that of a public high school.
At military schools, days start with breakfast and exercise. Then classes keep students busy until about 4 p.m., followed by sports or more exercise. The day concludes with study time and bed. Military school students don't have free time on weekends.
Military prep academy students have the same schedule during the week, but they have a little more free time for extracurricular activities like theater or clubs. They are also more likely to be able to leave the campus on weekends, see movies or go hiking.
Public schools are the least rigid because students have free time between classes, at meals and weekday evenings.
Public schools are limited in how they can discipline students. The most they can do is hand out detention or suspend/expel students. Military school instructors use intense physical exercise and marching to discipline students.
Military schools can be beneficial to those who are considering a future career in the military. They will gain experience in the lifestyle and will be physically fit for service when the time comes.
While military schools can be helpful for teens who are willful or have behavioral problems, they are not good for teens whose behavioral problems are caused by root psychological issues or learning disabilities. Such students will probably have trouble adjusting to the sudden loss of freedom. They may also only obey school instructors to avoid punishment, but once out of school will return to previous patterns of misbehavior.