More private school parents are shifting their child from the private schools to the public           schools, why?  Parents are coming to a conclusion that public school children are getting as good of an education as the private school, but free of charge.  Private-school tuition is growing exponentially higher, while some colleges are boosting the number of students they take from public schools.

New studies have suggested that public school students often test as well or better than their private school peers.  Increasingly public schools are enriching their programs by holding the same kinds of fund-raisers often associated with private schools, such as auctions and capital campaigns. 

"Most people agree there's always been some movement between private and public school," says Jeffrey Henig, a professor of political science and education at Columbia University. "But lately there's strong anecdotal evidence of frequent movement from private schools to public schools. There are more choices for parents now."

Published Friday, Sep. 22, 2006