Fort Wayne boasts an impressive public education system, but some families may be looking for other options. Fortunately, our area is also home to 49 total parochial, private, and charter schools--just less than the amount of Fort Wayne Community Schools. Within the city limits, there is a school for nearly every square mile.
Here, in the city of churches, there is no shortage of parochial school options for students and parents to choose from including the two largest private school systems, the Lutheran schools and the Catholic diocese.
The Lutheran Schools of Fort Wayne is one of the largest Lutheran school systems in the nation and consists of 17 grade schools and one high school--Concordia Lutheran High School. In the Fort Wayne Lutheran Schools, families will find both smaller schools and class sizes. This leads to individualized attention and a community-oriented atmosphere. Because of this, Concordia High School has an astounding graduation rate of 95 percent.
Similarly, the Catholic school system in Fort Wayne ranks well above the state average for standardized test scores as well as graduation rates. Run by the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the Catholic schools of Fort Wayne consist of 16 grade schools which feed into two high schools--Bishop Dwenger and Bishop Luers. Both high schools have a nearly perfect graduation rate of 99 percent.
There are also a number of other private Christian high schools that educate students from their first day of kindergarten to their high school graduation, such as Blackhawk Christian School, Cornerstone College Prep School, and the brand-new Horizon Christian Academy.
But religiously affiliated schools aren't the only alternatives for students opting out of the public school system. Fort Wayne is also home to a college preparatory day school, Canterbury, which teaches students from toddlers through 12th grade. Because it is designed to prepare students for higher education, Canterbury follows a 4-4-1 calendar which gives students an extra May term to take mini-courses as well as internships. Approximately 100 percent of Canterbury graduates go on to a college or university.
Now, more than ever, parents and students have more choices in their educational opportunities. Parents can make use of Indiana's "Choice Scholarships," more commonly referred to as vouchers, to offset the tuition for private schools. While these scholarships are primarily based on financial need, they are state-funded and offer students from every background the opportunity to get the best education possible. For more information, read about Indiana's Choice Scholarships here.
