"We're seeing some uptick in inquiries," Sister Mary McCaughey, superintendent of Catholic Schools at the Archdiocese of Chicago, told Reuters.

The UNO Charter School Network said that it took in 30 new students during the strike. The network's CEO, Juan Rangel, told the source that part of the reason behind this increase is that parents don't want their kids out on the streets, but back in school. If parents need to turn to private schools for this solution, they will.

Although administrators say that price is usually an issue when parents consider these alternatives, many schools have scholarship programs in place for families that fit a certain income bracket. In addition, some states and counties have implemented voucher programs that help fund students fitting certain circumstances to attend private schools.

While many parents saw the strike as a persuading point to look toward private education, some have seen it as a reaffirmation. One mother, Eva Ho, told Reuters that her child had gotten into a Chicago public preschool for this fall, but at the last minute she decided to keep her son in their current private school. She's glad she stayed, she said.

As the strike may be over, the ripple effects may last much longer. For many parents, this could be a final straw for a struggling public schools system. Private school administrators may want to take this time to invest in updated private school software or school administrator software for the upcoming fall, which may produce another rise in inquiries.

"Having independent schools of [a high] caliber get into online learning sends a powerful signal," Michael Horn, an author on disruptive innovation in the classroom, told the Journal.

The Global Online Academy, which offers full-credit online courses to member schools, says that its program is "antithetical" to the massive open classes that are offered online by Stanford and other universities. Instead, "classes are limited to 18 students and designed to emphasize relationships among participants."

Each school pays an annual membership fee of $30,000, with another $700 per student per course and these fees go toward paying teachers for the extra work that comes with teaching online. As of right now, most participating schools are not charging students who choose the online learning method extra tuition.

As this method of teaching begins to penetrate its way into the upper echelons of higher education, it will be sure to trickle down to all levels as the program matures and becomes more affordable. For private schools that anticipate joining this group, they may want to update their school database software, administrators could be challenged to track which students are using the online program.

In the near future, many schools may also begin charging slightly higher tuition fees to make up for the costs of membership.

With highly regarded programs such as Washington University in St. Louis and Webster University, private schools are an academic focal point in the state, countering the public universities' athletic prowess.

According to the source, 42.4 percent of the higher education enrollments in Missouri are at either independent or private universities. This is almost double the national average of 24 percent and the highest of all 50 states.

In addition, independent private universities account for more than 40 percent of Missouri's total enrollment and 50 percent of all degrees awarded each year at the undergraduate level. In graduate courses, those figures jump to 60 percent and 70 percent.

The source goes on to cite that many private institutions in Missouri use their own resources to create academically excellent institutions that provide opportunities to many minority groups and lower socioeconomic brackets than public schools in the state.

While Missouri may stand as an outlier nationwide, the article goes to show the benefits that private schools can have on their surrounding communities. If other institutions wish to further develop their programs and enhance their efficiency, they may first want to invest in updated private school database software or administrative system software.

These programs offer administrations the sophisticated technical foundation needed to operate an efficient university office. With funding and admissions easily tracked by private school software, administrators can focus on the initiatives needed to build a better school.

"I'm not hearing anyone saying they're not meeting their enrollment, among the private [universities]," Phil Doolittle, the chief operating officer at the University of Redlands, told the source.

According to the source, the University of Redlands experienced an increase in attendance this year with a freshman class consisting of 750 students. The usual size has been between 675 to 700 students.

During such a time of stability, administrators may benefit from taking the time to upgrade their school database software, especially with a rise in applications.

According to the source, many private universities in California have experienced "a significant increase in applications over the past two or three years." This rise has been married to the recent recession and the problems that many students in the state's university system  have had getting necessary classes, which has become a very public issue that has caused many students to not be able to graduate within four years.

Meanwhile, according to the source, many private universities in the state have been able to boast that their students will graduate within the typical four years.

As many private schools in California are seeing an increase in applications, these universities may want to update their private school database or school administration system before the early application deadline, which isn't too far away. These updates can help universities track fundraising and organize student information files more efficiently.

"It's a great day to be at Stoneybooke," Sherry Worrel, the school's founder and superintendent, told the Orange County Register. "This acknowledgement reflects the tremendous hard work of faculty and staff and students, and our partnerships with parents and the community."

Stoneybrooke is one of two private schools in the Golden State to be awarded a Blue Ribbon. Its fellow recipient was El Cerrito's Tehiyah Day School in San Francisco's Bay Area.

The program – fully known as the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program – is sponsored by the Department of Education and "recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students' levels of academic achievement," according to its website.

According to the OC Register, only 50 private schools nationwide won Blue Ribbons this year. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) reported the full list of schools with Illinois and New Jersey tied at the front with eight private schools receiving the awards and Kentucky coming in second with five.

In addition, the OC register reports that while there is no monetary gain for winning these awards, Blue Ribbon schools do create benefits for the surrounding community as they are in more demand and, therefore, increase property values in the neighborhood.

Private schools who have been awarded Blue Ribbons may want to take the time to invest in an updated private school software or school admissions software as they are, surely, to experience an increase in applications and demand.

The Immaculata Catholic School in Durham, North Carolina – which relies on Snowman Software for tracking donorships and financial gifts – was awarded a National Blue Ribbon this year, according to the DOE.

Established in 1909, Immaculata is a small private school that offers two classes for each grade in kindergarten through eighth. These classes only have 18 to 24 students per class and a 400-student cap is established for the entire program. This allows the school to focus on a more personalized education experience and individual attention.

According to Immaculata's website, the school offers "rigorous academic training which focuses on strong basic reading and mathematics skill development while providing a value-centered, holistic atmosphere for students."

As reported by this blog, fundraising and donations are essential for the stability of a private school. While tuition only goes so far, a healthy endowment can be essential for ensuring a schools longevity and quality of performance.

With the use of private school software by Snowman Software, Immaculata can effectively track donations and fundraising as they work to meet their financial goals. A higher level of organization ensures Immaculata can put its donation dollars to good use, developing the type of school system and structure that is worthy of national recognition.

In a study of schools with 10 or more kindergarten students, the source found that the number of children in private schools who have not had all their vaccinations is more than twice as large as those in public schools.

Although the source has found that many parents cite religious values and additional medical concerns as the reasons for their decision, the AP has yet to find a "single explanation that accounts for why so many more parents who send their children to private schools apparently share a suspicion of immunizations."

"I don't think dirt or getting sick makes you a weak person; your immune system needs to work with things," Bibi Reber, whose children attend the Greenwood School in San Francisco, told the source. "We certainly don't want to go back to having polio, but on the other hand, I don't think we need to eradicate all the childhood diseases."

Doctors, though, told the source that they fear schools where the students aren't fully vaccinated can be "places where disease can spread quite rapidly … should it get introduced." This may have led to the legislative approval of a bill that requires parents to have a discussion with a pediatrician or school nurse about vaccines, which Governor Jerry Brown must sign before the end of the month.

Regardless of what parents choose for their children, the statistics are enough to show that private schools may want to update their student information systems to keep an accurate tally of exactly which students have been vaccinated for what diseases.

The Fusion Academy is an independent private school chain managed by the American Education Group. It started in California and recently opened a campus on Long Island, with the next destination potentially Manhattan, pending on New York's Board of Education decision to approve the school.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Fusion Academy is designed to make the school-going process as comfortable and tailored as possible. In addition to the custom designed classes that students can attend at any time between 7:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., the school offers a "homework cafe" where students must complete all their homework before they leave for the day.

Details are customized right down to the decor and lighting. Teachers are also "discouraged" from using bright fluorescent lights overhead and to instead use warmer lamps that provide a more comforting glow.

"Real discipline problems are probably not a fit for us, but misfits are," said Mike Van Dinther, the vice president for new school development at AEG. "We're not going to try to compete with the school down the street and begin adding larger class sizes and a football team. It's the one-to-one that's the magic."

So far, 14 students have been enrolled in the Long Island branch and nine at the  proposed Manhattan campus, which is still waiting approval from the state.

During this limbo period between state approval and the first day of classes, it may benefit schools, such as the Fusion Academy, to update their private school software systems. Also, more students and families may apply to the school, and increased enrollment can be effectively managed with new school admin software.

While, according to the Austin Statesman, the talk of vouchers may have been spurred by states such as Arizona and Louisiana expanding their own programs, the current move from public to private has been fueled by the lack of student support in public school special education classes.

According to the Houston Chronicle, in 2010, 772 middle and high school education students withdrew from public school to attend private schools. That's a 75 percent increase from the year before.

"It's the free market at work. People are voting with their feet," said Tim Lambert, president of the Texas Home School Coalition, to the source. "Parents just get frustrated with the bureaucracy of the public school [system]."

One example is that of mother Leslie Phillips, who pulled her son out of a school in Katy, Texas – a Houston suburb – when he was in second grade. Rather than continue with a lengthy legal battle against the school system about its inability to provide for her son, who has an autism disorder, she chose to end it and enter him in a private school that she felt could support him.

With so many families supplanting their children from public school to private school, Texas-based private schools may want to update their school database software. By investing in high-quality school admission software, they can handle this particular influx much more smoothly while also keeping in mind the changes that may come from implementing a statewide voucher program.  

According to the survey, conducted by Gallup, 80 percent of independent private schools are considered either good or excellent. Following that are parochial or church-related private schools at 72 percent and then charter schools at 61 percent. Public schools are down at 47 percent with home schooling closely following at 46 percent.

Compounding this are results that found that 53 percent of respondents are dissatisfied with K-12 schools in the United States. This is the second-highest level of dissatisfaction in the survey's 13-year history. But, while this may not seem positive, there's a silver lining to it.

Many private schools could benefit from this survey's results, as their educational program may be the best available option for families. That is a reality that can be used for admissions marketing as well as any fundraising opportunities.

This may also be why the voucher programs in Louisiana, Washington D.C. and Arizona have been expanded as the demand for these scholarships has increased, resulting in a potential increase in overall private school attendance.

This is also an excellent opportunity for private schools to revamp their school management system or school admissions software to more effectively handle what may be an increase in attendance.