The labyrinth of prekindergarten through 12th grades school choices may leave parents scratching their heads. While traditional public schools are highly regulated by state and federal departments of education, different rules apply to other schools.

In Butler County, parents may choose from among public cybercharter schools, licensed schools and nonpublic schools.

Faith-based, nonpublic schools are the most popular choice after the public education system.

Nonpublic schoolsNonpublic schools are nonprofit institutions run by religious organizations.These schools must register with the state Department of Education, which is a simple process of a one-page form. The department does not accredit schools, nor does it require accreditation, although many schools seek it elsewhere.For example, both Butler Catholic School and Portersville Christian School are listed on the state Department of Education website as nonpublic, nonlicensed schools.But both of these schools are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. The commission is well-known because it’s one of the nation’s oldest accrediting agencies, and its post-secondary arm is one of only six accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.In fact, all schools licensed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh are accredited by the Middle States Commission, said Robert Paserba, superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese.Henry Cram, president of the commission’s elementary and secondary schools division, said many private and nonpublic schools choose accreditation, even though it’s a voluntary process, to give themselves academic parity with public schools.It’s a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” that many colleges seek on high school diplomas for academic continuity, he said.In addition, the commission partners with the National Council for Private School Accreditation, among other organizations, expanding it’s reach.“Their accrediting processes are equivalent to ours,” Cram said.The partnership simplifies the accreditation process for faith-based schools that choose to be accredited by both the commission and a private school organization, he said.Other Middle States affiliates include commissions for schools in New England and north central, northwest, southern and western states, listed on the commission’s website.Of course, there are accrediting agencies that are not affiliated with Middle States.For example, Penn Christian Academy has dual accreditation with Middle States and with the Association of Christian Schools International.Recently, Homeacre Christian Academy gained “model” status from Accelerated Christian Education, a curriculum provider.Parents who are not familiar with a school’s accrediting agency will need to make inquiries to determine how the school is viewed by other academic institutions, said Carolyn Pasanek, director of the Mount Lebanon Academy and a member of the state’s private school licensing board.Parents can find out whether teachers are certified and what their subject areas are, whether they’ve received clearances, and which post-secondary schools accept a school’s diploma, said Pasanek.

Licensed schoolsA for-profit school may apply for a state license, usually as an alternative to accreditation, Pasanek said.The state does track whether preschools and special education schools are licensed as a requirement for tuition to be paid with tax dollars, through agreements with the state, the school district, or both.Pennsylvania’s private school licensing procedure requires schools to present information about their program, teachers and facility, Pasanek said.But many schools operate without a license, causing confusion among parents who assume a school’s operation is regulated.“Parents are taking a risk,” she said of those sending their children to unlicensed schools.

Charter, cyber schoolsParents may have heard about charter schools, an alternative educational setting. For them to operate, they must receive approval from the local public school district in the form of a charter.Charter schools are exempt from many of the regulations that govern most public schools, usually to meet specific educational goals.Similarly, cyber charter schools, which are online charter schools, must be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education because their students may come from school districts statewide.Both are public schools, funded by tax dollars because tax dollars follow students to the charter schools they attend.The state Department of Education had returned 30 percent of students’ tuition to their school districts until the 2011-12 state budget was passed. Now, there is no reimbursement to the school districts.However, not all cyber schools are charter schools. Many are extensions of local school districts.“Most school districts right now are offering some cyber component,” said Jerry Slamecka, assistant superintendent for technology in the Butler School District.In some districts, online courses are an alternative form of education. In others, online courses may be offered to all students.The Butler and South Butler school districts recently partnered with each other and with Pittsburgh-based VLN Partners to expand their online course offerings to secondary school students, grades seven to 12.Students in those districts may attend some courses in classrooms and others online.

Website infoFor information on the status of Butler County schools, visit the state Department of Education website at www.edna.ed.state.pa.us or the Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools’ database at www.ces-msa.org/Library/SchoolSearch/AdvancedSearch.asp?FolderID=47&SessionID={4D371DA8-9B76-4222-AA76-A5217D942B6A}.