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Public schools should act more like businesses.

While public schools must strive to be efficient, the primary mission of public schools—to provide a quality education to all students—may not be consistent with a business model.

Public schools should seek ways to provide services as efficiently as possible. However, school districts cannot pursue this goal in the same way as a business.

The primary goal of a business is to maximize profit. The primary goal of a school district is to provide a quality education to all students. While a business can cut unprofitable product lines, school districts cannot discontinue educating students because they are “too expensive” or are “not providing a sufficient return on investment.” Public schools must educate all students, including those with severe physical and behavioral disorders and those that do not speak English.

Furthermore, school districts are run by school boards. Members of school boards must run for election and must accommodate the demands of voters. The directives that school boards receive from voters may shift over time and may involve values that extend beyond the efficiency. In short, school districts must operate under public constraints that businesses do not.

Finally, school districts are subject to state and federal mandates that may preclude them from operating in the manner that local voters, school boards and school administrators consider most efficient.

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