Private School? - Rockwall,TX

First and foremost, it's a school. Ask what curriculum they use, whether the teachers are certified, what education/degrees/experience the principal or headmaster has. Google their curriculum and review it. For the older students, is the school accredited (and not just by some frivolous accreditation-sounding organization, but by a recognized accreditation group. You'd be amazed at what some schools pass off as "accredited". Yes, we're accredited by the Private Accreditation Company of the World Association. Uh-huh. You send them money and they mail you a pretty accreditation certificate. No questions asked!).

Second: Safety. Go and observe the drop off and pick up times. Are they chaotic, or orderly? Are the children supervised? Ask about fire drills and the policies about letting visitors in. Are doors locked and visitors ID'd? Is the building monitored and properly licensed by the town/fire department etc? What are their general student safety policies, both concerning any normal childhood playground accidents, and also bullying and illness policies? Ask to see the public record of any violations. How are their employees' background checks done?

Third: what are their goals for the children? Some schools want compliant behavior, some want academic excellence, some want athletes. Some want well-rounded students. Some just want your tuition and for enrollment to increase. If you plan to keep your son in this school for his elementary years, what are their educational plans? What kind of behavioral standards do they have and how are they enforced? What punishment plans are in place (demerits, staying in for recess, extra homework, etc).

Fourth: ask about extra-curricular activities, before and after school care, lunch service, transportation, sports, whatever is important to you. If your son needs any special services or has medical conditions, ask how those kinds of things are handled.

Fifth: find out if there are any restrictions on religion (if it's a religious school) or parent volunteer-time and donation expectations, or restrictions as to absences or other things that are important to your family. Some schools are very strict and will not tolerate absences due to occasional vacations, etc. Ask about dress codes, hair style restrictions, etc.

Just observe when you're there. Have a notebook and pen to jot down questions that come to you when you meet with them. Observe how open they are. If they're willing to let you quietly step into a classroom unannounced to observe a class in session, that's a good sign. If they only let you see prearranged set-up scenes, that's not.

Hope that helps.

Aside from what's mentioned, which were all must-know things, if it's a private school for k-12 and Christian, I would want to know if it's evangelical or a discipleship and what the requirements are for student transfers. Most Christian ones that are evangelical the parents do not have to be Christian to have their kids attend. There are also a few near me that take students who were constantly in trouble, etc. The discipleship ones, you have to be a Christian family to attend and if the child is a "troublemaker" they are pretty serious about removing them. For me, this was something I learned while looking around at private schools. Definitely check out the teacher requirements, as someone mentioned many don't require degrees/certificates. Once you narrow it down to specific schools try to find other parents that have kids there, even if you go at pick up/drop off to ask them what their experience is like. Good luck!

Updated

Aside from what's mentioned, which were all must-know things, if it's a private school for k-12 and Christian, I would want to know if it's evangelical or a discipleship and what the requirements are for student transfers. Most Christian ones that are evangelical the parents do not have to be Christian to have their kids attend. There are also a few near me that take students who were constantly in trouble, etc. The discipleship ones, you have to be a Christian family to attend and if the child is a "troublemaker" they are pretty serious about removing them. For me, this was something I learned while looking around at private schools. Definitely check out the teacher requirements, as someone mentioned many don't require degrees/certificates. Once you narrow it down to specific schools try to find other parents that have kids there, even if you go at pick up/drop off to ask them what their experience is like. Good luck!

Find out what kind of education the teachers have. Many private schools only require teachers to have Bachelors Degrees and not even in the subject which they teach. Most public school systems require teachers to have Master's Degree in the subject they teach AND they require teachers to keep their certification current by continuing their education with classes and in-service programs on a yearly basis.
If the school has a high school - find out where the graduates attend college. If they are all going to the community college and not Ivy League schools, you might want to choose another school. There is no point in paying through the nose for private school if your child isn't going to benefit later... There is a private school near me. The parents pay $32k per year and their children are not being accepted into the big schools. The kids at the local high schools get into better colleges...
LBC

Can't really add to Elena's.
If you work for them do you get a reduced tuition?
Is it a Christian school and if so, do you need a recommendation from the pastor of your church?
Is there an aide in the preK room through the elementary school years?
What is the teacher to child ratio?
If this is the school you are choosing for him through high school look into the high school curriculum. Are they competitive with the public high schools? Do they offer AP courses?
These are not questions to ask at the meeting but keep in mind some private schools do not have the capabilities, money or staff to equip an AP Chem lab.