The seven public school districts in Butler County are competing with a higher power.

That force being the 18 private, faith-based schools in the county that enroll students every year who would otherwise attend area public schools. Those 18 schools are registered with the state Department of Education, but do not have state-issued licenses.

Because they do not receive state funding, nonpublic, non-licensed schools are not held to the minimum academic standards set by the state Department of Education, according to DEP spokeswoman Leah Harris.

Those schools do seek accreditation from other sources.

One of Butler's private schools, Butler Catholic School, 515 E. Locust St., accredited through the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, is also Middle States Commission accredited and state approved.

It accepts all children regardless of religious background, so long as the annual tuition of $3,350 is paid.

Tuition can be paid in installments over an 11-month period, said Sister John Ann Mulhern, principal.

Butler Catholic serves about 200 students in kindergarten through eighth grade as well as about 40 preschoolers, according to Mulhern.

Kindergarteners are exposed to Spanish as part of an early language program at the school, Mulhern said. In seventh grade, students can decide to continue studies in Spanish, or pursue French or Latin coursework.

Students learn reading, mathematics and science, and can complete advanced algebra and geometry courses in their final year, if they are capable, Mulhern said.

Supplementing traditional course work are weekly Masses held by grade in the school's convent chapel.

Grades sixth, seventh and eighth take scripture-based courses that examine Catholicism.

"The courses help children understand how our Catholic faith has played a part in the development of the world," Mulhern said.

The school above all values respect in a "faith-based" environment.

"Our children are expected to be respectful, responsible versions of Jesus," Mulhern said.

"The children are respectful, because that's what we expect them to be."

In a departure from traditional classroom learning, Homeacre Christian Academy, 340 Whitestown Road in Butler Township, considers a student's overall comprehension rather than strictly adhering to a set time schedule for lessons.

Instead of grades, students work through 144 levels, with the goal of advancing 12 levels each year, Homeacre Principal David Fisher said.

Course work is done individually and involves students working through lesson books that teach math, science and historical facts while introducing them to 60 built-in Biblical principles, Fisher said.

The school follows a curriculum set by Accelerated Christian Education for its 12 students. Although the school does not meet the state's requirement for the amount of days at school, it exceeds the state's hour requirement.

"I personally believe it's how much students are learning, not necessarily how much time they're putting in," Fisher said. "You can put time in and learn nothing."

The school meets all health requirements set by the state and tests students each year with standard achievement tests, Fisher said.

Penn Christian Academy in Penn Township, with about 320 students from preschool through sixth grade enrolled for fall, is making full use of the former South Butler School District building it has occupied for eight years.

The school is dually accredited with the Middle States Commission and the Association of Christian Schools International.

Penn Christian offers competitive programs such as the Global Learning Lab — Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French and German early language programs.

In conjunction with learning languages, students look at each culture from a "Christian World View" perspective, said Cindy Dodds, administrator.

Non-denominational Bible study courses are taught daily and small chapel worship takes place each Friday, Dodds said.

"It's exciting to see them thinking critically about their faith," Dodds said.

"We don't want to put them in a bubble; we want them to think."

The school offers competitive programs with three major goals: instilling leadership, scholarship and Christian world view thinking, Dodds said.

Fourteen of the religious institutions in the county are members of Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, one of 29 state entities that offer services and programs requested by member districts.

The Grove City-based unit also implements programs mandated by the state education department, the State Board of Education, General Assembly and United States Department of Education.