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A '''school''' is an educational institution. Schools can be either publicly- or privately-owned, funded by public or private sources or a combination of both, and may have a secular or a religious mandate.   

A '''school''' is an educational institution. Schools can be either publicly- or privately-owned, funded by public or private sources or a combination of both, and may have a secular or a religious mandate.   

As of 1995 in the [[United States of America]], 89% of children attend taxpayer-funded [[atheistic]] schools that censor [[classroom prayer]].<ref>http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/1995/psroct95.html</ref> But the "percentage of white children enrolled in America's [[public schools]] -- 60 percent in 2001-2002 -- is 7 percentage points less than a decade before, according to the National Center for Education Statistics."<ref>Kevin Drew, "Today's battle in classrooms: Resegregation," CNN.com (May 15, 2004).</ref>  Public school teachers decide against sending their own children to public schools in higher percentages than the general population.<ref>"An analysis of 2000 Census data by the Fordham Institute showed that 21.5% of public school teachers nationwide choose private schooling for their children vs. 17.5% for other families." "Class Warfare," Investor's Business Daily A16 (July 7, 2005).</ref>  "Of the eight million youngsters in grades K-12 who come from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or more, 80 percent (6.4 million) attend public schools and 20 percent (1.6 million) attend private schools."<ref>Council for American Private Education[http://www.capenet.org/facts.html]</ref>  $489.4 billion in taxpayer dollars<ref>http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372</ref>, or about $10,000 per student<ref>Using numbers referenced elsewhere in this article, $489.4 billion dollars divided by 49.6 million public school students = $9867 per student.</ref>, will be spent on [[American]] elementary and secondary [[public schools]] for the 2007-2008 school year, and that figure may not include costly pensions.  In comparison, the average non-sectarian private school costs $10,992 per year. <ref>Council for American Private Education[http://www.capenet.org/facts.html]</ref>

As of 1995 in the [[United States of America]], 89% of children attend taxpayer-funded [[atheistic]] schools that censor [[classroom prayer]].<ref>http://www.eagleforum.org/psr/1995/psroct95.html</ref> But the "percentage of white children enrolled in America's [[public schools]] -- 60 percent in 2001-2002 -- is 7 percentage points less than a decade before, according to the National Center for Education Statistics."<ref>Kevin Drew, "Today's battle in classrooms: Resegregation," CNN.com (May 15, 2004).</ref>  Public school teachers decide against sending their own children to public schools in higher percentages than the general population.<ref>"An analysis of 2000 Census data by the Fordham Institute showed that 21.5% of public school teachers nationwide choose private schooling for their children vs. 17.5% for other families." "Class Warfare," Investor's Business Daily A16 (July 7, 2005).</ref>  "Of the eight million youngsters in grades K-12 who come from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or more, 80 percent (6.4 million) attend public schools and 20 percent (1.6 million) attend private schools."<ref>[http://www.capenet.org/facts.html Council for American Private Education]</ref>  $489.4 billion in taxpayer dollars,<ref>http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372</ref> or about $10,000 per student,<ref>Using numbers referenced elsewhere in this article, $489.4 billion dollars divided by 49.6 million public school students = $9867 per student.</ref> will be spent on [[American]] elementary and secondary [[public schools]] for the 2007-2008 school year, and that figure may not include costly pensions.  In comparison, the average non-sectarian private school costs $10,992 per year.<ref>[http://www.capenet.org/facts.html Council for American Private Education]</ref>

An increasingly popular alternative to school is [[homeschooling]].<ref>[http://nces.ed.gov/nhes/homeschool/ 1.1 Million Home-schooled Students in the United States in 2003], Nation Institute for Education Statistics</ref>

An increasingly popular alternative to school is [[homeschooling]].<ref>[http://nces.ed.gov/nhes/homeschool/ 1.1 Million Home-schooled Students in the United States in 2003], Nation Institute for Education Statistics</ref>

In America, the curriculum in [[public schools]] is dictated by state governments and increasingly by the federal government under the "[[No Child Left Behind]]" legislation. [[Federal court]]s generally prohibit any type of [[prayer]] led by school officials, and even forbid the display and teaching of the [[Ten Commandments]].

In America, the curriculum in [[public schools]] is dictated by state governments and increasingly by the federal government under the "[[No Child Left Behind]]" legislation. [[Federal court]]s generally prohibit any type of [[prayer]] led by school officials, and even forbid the display and teaching of the [[Ten Commandments]].

In America, there are an estimated 49.6 million students enrolled in 97,000 public [[Elementary school|elementary]] and secondary schools. <ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12, by grade level and region, with projections: Various years, fall 1965–2016 [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/section1/table.asp?tableID=663]</ref> <ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Number of operating public elementary and secondary schools, by school type, charter, magnet, Title I and Title I school wide status, and state or jurisdiction: School year 2005–06 [http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/pesschools06/tables/table_2.asp]</ref>  In addition, 6.1 million students are enrolled in about 28,000 private schools, and 1.1 million are homeschooled. <ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Enrollment in educational institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1869–70 through fall 2015 [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_003.asp?referrer=list]</ref> <ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Number of educational institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1980–81 through 2004–05 [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_005.asp?referrer=list]</ref>   

In America, there are an estimated 49.6 million students enrolled in 97,000 public [[Elementary school|elementary]] and secondary schools.<ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Public school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12, by grade level and region, with projections: Various years, fall 1965–2016 [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/section1/table.asp?tableID=663]</ref><ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Number of operating public elementary and secondary schools, by school type, charter, magnet, Title I and Title I school wide status, and state or jurisdiction: School year 2005–06 [http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/pesschools06/tables/table_2.asp]</ref>  In addition, 6.1 million students are enrolled in about 28,000 private schools, and 1.1 million are homeschooled.<ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Enrollment in educational institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1869–70 through fall 2015 [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_003.asp?referrer=list]</ref><ref>U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Number of educational institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1980–81 through 2004–05 [http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_005.asp?referrer=list]</ref>   

Compulsory 5-days a week, nearly 8-hours a day attendance at public school only began nationwide in the [[United States]] during the 20th century.  Compulsory schooling laws were not universal throughout the [[United States]] until 1917, and even then the school year was often less than a half year.<ref>http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kellmeyer/050428</ref>  There have been few, if any, long-term studies on the effects of the modern approach of full-time attendance at school from age 6 and younger to age 21 and older.

Compulsory 5-days a week, nearly 8-hours a day attendance at public school only began nationwide in the [[United States]] during the 20th century.  Compulsory schooling laws were not universal throughout the [[United States]] until 1917, and even then the school year was often less than a half year.<ref>http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kellmeyer/050428</ref>  There have been few, if any, long-term studies on the effects of the modern approach of full-time attendance at school from age 6 and younger to age 21 and older.