public school

noun

1. (in the U.S.) a school that is maintained at public expense for the education of the children of a community or district and that constitutes a part of a system of free public education commonly including primary and secondary schools.
2. (in England) any of a number of endowed secondary boarding schools that prepare students chiefly for the universities or for public service.

public school

noun

1. (in England and Wales) a private independent fee-paying secondary school
2. (in the US) any school that is part of a free local educational system
3. in certin Canadian provinces, a public elementray school as distinguished from a separate school

Other Words From

• public-school adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of public school¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Ninety percent of American students attend public schools, and the crux of educational inequality is in how those schools are funded — primarily by property taxes.

From Washington Post

Throughout the fall, while coronavirus ravaged Chicago, the city and the teachers union could not come to an agreement over when and how to reopen the city’s public schools.

From Washington Post

The decision follows criticism in late January from local lawmakers and early-childhood advocates who were upset that those workers were not prioritized for vaccinations ahead of public school staff.

From Washington Post

House Bill 60 is a neo-voucher that would allow students who withdraw from a local public school to take state funding with them to use as a scholarship to a private school.

From Washington Post

The all-Democratic county council is split over key proposals, most notably a bid to bar police from working in public schools.

From Washington Post

And, most of all, thank you federal, state, and local governments for magnificent public school systems.

From The Daily Beast

He went to public school until the 7th grade, and then attended Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada Flintridge, California.

From The Daily Beast

Stephen Knolls School is a public school in a Maryland suburb of Washington DC.

From The Daily Beast

There are 3.4 million public school teachers in the United States.

From The Daily Beast

About 70 civilians, little children as well as adults, were hiding in a deep cellar of Public School No. 51.

From The Daily Beast

But Yung Pak was not allowed to share the pleasures and the trials of the boys in the public school.

From Project Gutenberg

Local school and capitation taxes were optional with each county and public school district.

From Project Gutenberg

The public school system and even the court system became infiltrated with politics.

From Project Gutenberg

Regional festivals and a State Festival for public school bands and choral groups are held each year.

From Project Gutenberg

These courses coupled with the original fundamental courses provided a rich curriculum for the public school children of Virginia.

From Project Gutenberg