Black Students in the Nation's Private Elementary and Secondary Schools

Black students make up about 17 percent of all students in the nation's public schools. But a new report from the U.S. Department of Education finds that blacks make up only 9.2 percent of the students in the nation's private elementary and secondary schools.

Blacks are 7.5 percent of the students in Catholic schools and make up 12.2 percent of the students in so-called "Christian conservative" schools.

In the southern states where blacks are 25 percent of the public school students or more, blacks are 11 percent of the students enrolled in private schools.

In private schools established for special education students, blacks are 22 percent of the total enrollments.