Parents treat private school like investment, looking for returns in education and values.

 

It's not unusual for students to struggle when they enter high school.

 

Virginia boarding schools are located throughout the Commonwealth. Many enjoy bucolic settings where equestrian programs or water activites are offered.

 

Many area private schools stress that students reap lifelong rewards from extracurricular activities.

 

Private schools offer families choices of traditional and nontraditional curriculums, along with alternative educational approaches.

 

A student stands by the steps of a pre-Revolutionary War plantation home, on the campus of Oakland School, waiting to meet his new teacher.

 

Parents of children who have special educational needs will find several private schools in the central Richmond region that offer these programs.

 

For the 733 private schools in Virginia, accreditation through the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) and its 11 member organizations has its pros and cons.

 

In Virginia, the state Board of Education has authorized the Virginia Council for Private Education to accredit private schools. In turn, VCPE acts as an umbrella agency, overseeing the accreditation processes of 11 member organizations. These accrediting member organizations are VCPE-approved and state-recognized and have met core standards set up by VCPE.