For many years, school districts have contracted for non-educational services ranging from meals or maintenance to transportation, labor negotiations or data processing. Today a growing number of school districts are expanding those contracts to include education services. In some cases, school districts are turning to private entities to manage individual schools and even entire districts.

There are currently more than 20 for-profit companies and 80 non-profit organizations partnering with public schools to offer all manner of school services, ranging from alternative education, special needs instruction or curriculum design to contract schools and district-wide management. For districts that have entered into such contracts, the private sector can often serve as a source of innovation and entrepreneurialism.

Partnerships between public schools and the private sector allow school districts additional options for serving students. In some cases, private schools under contract are able to provide specialized services for students that do not perform well in traditional public schools; this is the case with private schools that serve children who are �at risk� because they have dropped out or are behind academically. In others cases, private contracts permit school districts to enter into agreements that hold private managers to performance standards.

© 2004 Black Alliance for Educational Options
1710 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, D.C. 20036 | phone: (202) 429-2236 | fax: (202) 429-2237