USA Relocation > Schools
Overview of Educational SystemThere are both public (financed by the government and property taxes) and private schools. The majority of students attend public schools. Some private schools have religious affiliations.

The school system is comprised of:
  • Kindergarten, which is voluntary for children under the age of 6.
  • Elementary school which may be:
    • Elementary school for children ages 6 to 14. OR
    • Primary school for children 6 to 12. AND
    • Middle school for children 12 to 15.
  • Secondary school, which is for children 14 to 18 if they came from elementary school, or for children 15 to 18 if they came from middle school.
The US does not have a federal school system; the individual states govern the schools within their jurisdiction. With the exception of the military academies, the federal government does not run schools. The government provides guidance and funding for federal educational programs in which both public and private schools take part, and the Department of Education oversees these programs.

The school year generally runs from September to June, although in some states the school year is August to May.

A very small number of parents educate their children themselves, a practice known as "home schooling."

SchoolsThe following are some of the better-known international and private schools:

Los Angeles, CA (greater area)
San Francisco, CA (greater area) San Diego, CA (greater area) Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Mexico
  • Arm and Hammer United World College of the American West (Montezuma), Tel.: 1-505-454-4200
New York North Carolina
  • Deutsche Schule, Tel.: 1-704-366-5041
Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island
  • Ecole Franco-Americaine (Providence), Tel.: 1-401-274-3325
South Carolina
  • Ecole Francais Michelin (Greenville), Tel.: 1-864-268-5600
Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Washington, DC Wisconsin