Private school?

[Colleen27]

I'm not even sure what advice I'm looking for here, I'm just having a hard time clarifying my thoughts much less making up my mind about a schooling decision for DD10.

She's going into 6th grade and we're unhappy with some things going on in our district. The plan was an online charter (public, no tuition and little out-of-pocket costs) but she had some concerns with that route because she is super-active in athletics and extracurriculars. And she got a referral into the school's STEM program that she was very proud to be chosen for. I do believe she's old enough and responsible enough to have some say in her schooling choices, so reluctantly the plan shifted back to the neighborhood school.

Then today she went with DH & I to tour the private (Catholic) school younger DD will be attending for preschool. Preschool was mainly a geographic decision; our district spans two towns and their preschool is in the other one, while the Catholic school is just a few blocks from home, and the two are comparable in cost and curriculum. But DD10 absolutely fell in love with the school and asked if we'd consider sending her there instead.

Financially it is doable, but tight. Either our travel habits or college savings would suffer (the kids have pre-paid tuition contracts, we're still saving for the extras). The class sizes are really impressive - 10-15 compared to the public school's 30-35. They offer a LOT more than I'd have expected from such a small (fewer than 100 students, K-8) school in terms of athletics and extracurriculars, more in some aspects than our (still smallish, about 550 kids 6-8) public middle school. And academically I have no doubt it would be a better fit. I'm just not sure about the costs... Our public schools aren't bad by any stretch, in fact they're quite good despite dealing with some major budget cuts in ways I don't especially agree with, and I'm having a really hard time wrapping my mind around thousands of dollars for school when we have an adequate public option available.

So for those here on the budget board who have chosen private over public, how did you reach a decision? How do you assign a "value" to a different educational environment? How do you decide what other 'extras' to cut to afford that choice?

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

I would send my child to private if I thought they could excel better and like it better as long as we could afford it.

I am one of three kids and my parents sent both my brother and sister to private schools because they actually needed the classroom size etc. I was always jealous because eventually they couldn't afford it for all of us and I got stuck in public schools for middle and high school while they were both still in private and I was miserable and getting bullied. I'm definitely super biased because of that. But if I could afford to send my child to private school and they wanted to go I would send them.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I'm not even sure what advice I'm looking for here, I'm just having a hard time clarifying my thoughts much less making up my mind about a schooling decision for DD10.

She's going into 6th grade and we're unhappy with some things going on in our district. The plan was an online charter (public, no tuition and little out-of-pocket costs) but she had some concerns with that route because she is super-active in athletics and extracurriculars. And she got a referral into the school's STEM program that she was very proud to be chosen for. I do believe she's old enough and responsible enough to have some say in her schooling choices, so reluctantly the plan shifted back to the neighborhood school.

Then today she went with DH & I to tour the private (Catholic) school younger DD will be attending for preschool. Preschool was mainly a geographic decision; our district spans two towns and their preschool is in the other one, while the Catholic school is just a few blocks from home, and the two are comparable in cost and curriculum. But DD10 absolutely fell in love with the school and asked if we'd consider sending her there instead.

Financially it is doable, but tight. Either our travel habits or college savings would suffer (the kids have pre-paid tuition contracts, we're still saving for the extras). The class sizes are really impressive - 10-15 compared to the public school's 30-35. They offer a LOT more than I'd have expected from such a small (fewer than 100 students, K-8) school in terms of athletics and extracurriculars, more in some aspects than our (still smallish, about 550 kids 6-8) public middle school. And academically I have no doubt it would be a better fit. I'm just not sure about the costs... Our public schools aren't bad by any stretch, in fact they're quite good despite dealing with some major budget cuts in ways I don't especially agree with, and I'm having a really hard time wrapping my mind around thousands of dollars for school when we have an adequate public option available.

So for those here on the budget board who have chosen private over public, how did you reach a decision? How do you assign a "value" to a different educational environment? How do you decide what other 'extras' to cut to afford that choice?

We chose private for both of ours from K - 12. It was a huge sacrifice for DH and I, but in the end, a decision I would never change. DD has a full scholarship for college, she is starting her 3rd. year. Even if she didn't tuition at the local university is less than either of their High Schools. DS is starting his senior year at his choice a Jesuit H.S. that he absolutely loves. I can see the difference in him versus friends in the public high school and the classes he can take are not offered at our local high school.

Note: everyone can apply for tuition assistance and we found even if you make a lot of money, all situations are taken into consideration.

Good luck in your decision and to your child. School is so challenging now, they really need to be where they "fit" in.

 

[jgreco]

Your daughter may be in a position that her academics and grades earned due to being in a better environment will position her for scholarships.

Two of my three attend private school.

My youngest is in Montessori and smart as a whip, the best environment for him. He's very hands on.

My middle child is a bookworm, so she goes to Prep School. She's fluent in Chinese and can debate the pants off anyone. Her high school tuition is higher than most state universities, but I am confident she will get scholarships and her experience there will pay off.

My oldest graduated this year (he refused to go to private school). Though he's recently moved out on his own, he is a busboy right now and has no plans to do much else. I truly believe our public school here just pushed him through. It amazed me -he'd have C's and D's, then cut out an article and get an A on his report card. It made it impossible to enforce any kind of study habits at home, he knew he only had to do the bare minimum. That being said, maybe private school would have been a waste of money. I'll never know.

Go for the environment that is best for the child. You can't lose.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Are you a Parishioner of the Catholic Church ?

Usually your Diocese will help subsidize the tuition for it's parishioners.

I know that's how my parents afforded to put 3 kids through private Catholic school. Our schools also offered an in leiu of tuition program, where parents could essentially work in the school volunteering and helping out.

Since we didn't have lunch service at school, we had lunch brought in by different vendors, but they still needed parents each day in the lunch room to serve the meals, and clean up from lunch.

Also when-ever the school had functions, parents would sign up to work them and it would count toward their hours. Many of the hours my parents worked was after work hours. Obviously if they needed tuition assistance they weren't taking time off work to work at the school.

 

[tcufrog]

My older son has a genius IQ but he has special needs (diagnosed ADHD and high functioning Aspergers). Our school district is notorious for not knowing what to do with intellectually gifted kids who have special needs. If at all possible we will keep him in private schools with low student/teacher ratios and more individualized attention.

Our toddler isn't showing any signs of Aspergers and does very well in social situations. He also shows signs of being smart so we are going to try him in a local Montessori school twice a week in the fall. I'm not sure what we will do for kindergarten. It will depend on him temperament and how good the public schools are when we reach that point.

 

[dismom9761]

This year will be my kids' third year in private school. We never thought it would be possible but a friend talked us into applying for financial aid. We qualified and it has been such a blessing. Even with the financial aid we have had to sacrifice almost all vacations and " extras" but it has been worth it. Textbooks,field trips,etc still get very expensive in private school.

The smaller class sizes and "intimate" feeling of the school meet all four of their different needs. I also like the fact that their classes are chosen according to child and not grade. My 9th grader will actually be taking some if the same classes as my 11th grader.

 

[robsmom]

I believe that each kid is different and it really depends on the child and of course financial circumstances. We made the decision to move DS to a catholic school at the same age you are considering and I can tell you that our experience has been excellent. We only wish we had done it sooner. We started looking because we were just not happy with our middle school even though it is in a "good" school district. DS was not challenged and they had little homework in 5th grade. I also knew that DS was not overly happy and probably would not fight me too hard. I later found out that there was some minor bullying going on. The key benefits for him has been that the school is harder and has more homework. Equally important, however, is that the kids are just nicer and the entire atmosphere has more discipline. My husband and I are happy because we feel his education is improved. He is happy because he has more friends, and just likes going to school more. In answer to how we pay for it - we payed day care and after school care for years. We ended after school care the year he started the catholic school so the cost was really not much different. That said, if I had to "sacrafice" and give up extras, I would do it to keep him there at this point.

 

[allison443]

We sent all three of our kids to Catholic elementary school and Catholic high school (one is still in high school). Yes, it was money we could have spent elsewhere but for us it was a priority to get them the best education we could and we felt that was best. We have been very happy with our decision especially in the high school years.

I think each family has to decide what they are willing to spend their money on. From your signature you have four disney trips planned for the next year or so, so obviously travel is a priority for you. When you say travel would be cut down, would that be to one trip? To me that would be a no-brainer. (I am not judging at all) However, would this school only be for a couple of years, till high school? It might make your decision easier if you know its only for a couple years of tuition payments, kwim?

Also, having paid for tuition all these years, I just cannot relate to the threads where people gripe about spending $30 on school supplies, or how they have to buy those "pricy" crayolas and ticonderogas. All a matter of perspective lol.

Good luck with whatever you decide! I'm sure you will make the right decision for your family.

 

[Sadie22]

Do you even know that the private school will allow your daughter to enter next year? Our children went to public school but I remember we would read in the church newsletter that the the local private religious school rarely had openings above kindergarten and first grade.

 

[Colleen27]

I would send my child to private if I thought they could excel better and like it better as long as we could afford it.

I am one of three kids and my parents sent both my brother and sister to private schools because they actually needed the classroom size etc. I was always jealous because eventually they couldn't afford it for all of us and I got stuck in public schools for middle and high school while they were both still in private and I was miserable and getting bullied. I'm definitely super biased because of that. But if I could afford to send my child to private school and they wanted to go I would send them.

That's something else we're thinking about - if we send older DD to private school, what will that mean for younger DD? The plan was Catholic for preschool and then to the local elem, but if older DD is going to private school do we then consider it for younger as well?

DS14 is staying in the public system; he's not a strong student but brought his grades up dramatically just to maintain football eligibility, and our district has a top-rated, perennial playoff quality program that he's excited to be involved in. He's planning on a vocational path rather than university, so admissions and scholarships aren't as big a concern, he's in appropriate academic classes, and he's driven to make decent grades even if it isn't for the reasons I'd prefer.

Are you a Parishioner of the Catholic Church ?

Usually your Diocese will help subsidize the tuition for it's parishioners.

I know that's how my parents afforded to put 3 kids through private Catholic school. Our schools also offered an in leiu of tuition program, where parents could essentially work in the school volunteering and helping out.

Since we didn't have lunch service at school, we had lunch brought in by different vendors, but they still needed parents each day in the lunch room to serve the meals, and clean up from lunch.

Also when-ever the school had functions, parents would sign up to work them and it would count toward their hours. Many of the hours my parents worked was after work hours. Obviously if they needed tuition assistance they weren't taking time off work to work at the school.

I grew up Catholic but no longer practice. There's some soul-searching there that I have to do, because there's a part of me that feels like this is pointing me back towards the Church but I haven't quite resolved all of my issues with organized religion just yet. But it won't matter for two years, because the school offers a new student rate that is even lower than the parishoner rate for the first two years of attendance. So I will figure that out in time, but not right now.

BTW, I love your name. My 10yo is a Shanna too, and we just don't meet many of them.

We sent all three of our kids to Catholic elementary school and Catholic high school (one is still in high school). Yes, it was money we could have spent elsewhere but for us it was a priority to get them the best education we could and we felt that was best. We have been very happy with our decision especially in the high school years.

I think each family has to decide what they are willing to spend their money on. From your signature you have four disney trips planned for the next year or so, so obviously travel is a priority for you. When you say travel would be cut down, would that be to one trip? To me that would be a no-brainer. (I am not judging at all) However, would this school only be for a couple of years, till high school? It might make your decision easier if you know its only for a couple years of tuition payments, kwim?

Also, having paid for tuition all these years, I just cannot relate to the threads where people gripe about spending $30 on school supplies, or how they have to buy those "pricy" crayolas and ticonderogas. All a matter of perspective lol.

Good luck with whatever you decide! I'm sure you will make the right decision for your family.

Travel is something of a passion of mine, so it is hard for me to let that go. Four Disney trips isn't typical (and can you believe that's the low-budget alternative? each trip is a long weekend with just part of the family, for some one-on-one time, and the budget for all 4 plus a camping trip all together came out to less than the summer trip I had been planning ). But obviously there is still room to cut, and there's some room to cut elsewhere as well.

I'm not sure how long we're thinking this will be for. Middle school at least, because I really don't like the idea of her in a middle school without science labs or other essential (in my view) facilities. High school will be an entirely different question, partly because of better public options including an IB magnet in the next town over and partly because DD10 is quite athletic and is concerned with the athletic offerings at the (also very small, <100 students) Catholic high school. But there are some things she likes about the Catholic HS as well, so it could go either way. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Do you even know that the private school will allow your daughter to enter next year? Our children went to public school but I remember we would read in the church newsletter that the the local private religious school rarely had openings above kindergarten and first grade.

Yes, we already talked to the principal and registering is no problem. The Catholic schools here are struggling with declining enrollment and consolidation so they are very welcoming of new students, and our school year doesn't start until after Labor Day so this isn't even very last minute the way it would be in many places.

 

[quasar4legs]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the fees may rise over the years and you would need to budget accordingly.

We ended up homeschooling our son for the last part of his education but to give an example when he started the fees for kindergarten were around $5000 and the final senior was listed as $12000.
If he had stayed at school by the time he had actually been in senior year the fees had nearly doubled and were just under $24000.

None of this may be relevant in your situation but it might be worth checking with the school how often their fees rise etc.

Good luck finding the right schools for your children.

 

[Sunnywho]

How good is the STEM program at the neighborhood program?
It's possible that instead of paying for private, she could go with the public school and then with the money that's saved, get more extras like science camp or whatever might fit her interests.

For us we went with a public charter school that's one of the top schools in the state. So it's the best of both worlds with a free school that's academically challenging.

 

[Ginny Favers]

I've chosen a private Catholic school for our children for many reasons. We're Catholic, and we like the sense of community with the members of our church. The school is actually a little run-down and lacking, but my youngest is entering preschool while my oldest is in 1st grade, so this was one of the few schools that offered programs for both ages. I like having them together. Also, in comparing the costs, after-care at the public school + private preschool tuition is just as expensive as the full tuition for both at the Catholic school. So, it was really a no-brainer.

Also, I know the teachers at the Catholic school, and they are amazing. I was very much turned off to the public school here when my friend (who used to be a teacher there) told me that the 4th-grade teacher was such a screw-up, but instead of firing her, they just "demoted her" to kindergarten.

When my youngest starts first grade, we may reevaluate and think about sending them to the public school. They are very good, for the most part.

 

[4orm]

We made a decision this year to send out daughter to private school. For us it means making some life changes and there will be little going towards a college fund but the alternative, in our opinion, wasn't the best choice.
The schools where we lives aren't the greatest and I firmly believe that smaller class sizes, teachers, and environment will make a big difference in our daughter's education.
We have enough money for the school - but no life extras after the high tuition (there isn't any financial aide). We toured many schools before we made the decision but the decision was easy. Would we rather be living lean (can pay bills, quality food - no vacations, fancy extras, etc) and know we're doing the best for our child or have 'stuff' and send to her a school we know to be sub-par?
She's worth it and we're so proud to know that she won't be exposed to the problems of the local public school.

As for high schools, public is an option when she reaches the age as there are many great ones in our city she can option or apply to attend. The elementry schools are lacking in many areas and we can't afford to move into the million dollar + neighbourhoods where the good public schools are. Homeschooling was another idea we were playing with but the school we loved the most we got accepted to (it's very competitive) and we feel like the opportunity is golden.

 

[kissy]

DH and I both graduated from the catholic school here in town so we've always known we wanted our kids to go there also. My DD's (9th and 4th grades) both love the school. The teachers are great, the school is good about working with us financially (at least a little). DS is 3 but still has 2 years until kindgarden and I'm pregnant with #4. I had planned on DS starting Prek this year but we can't afford it right now.
Currently we live in a really bad school district so we have our home up for sale and am hoping to move one town over. When we do that, the kids will be going to public school. I wish we didn't have to do that but we dont have much choice as tuition costs have risen at least $100/month every year for the last 5 years. Plus, all the extra out of pocket costs (field trips, school supplies, uniforms, etc.)
I will tell you, you get what you pay for. I know that I love the catholic school and if we could afford to send all of our children there, we would.

 

[Mouse7116]

We are just embarking down this road. DS will be starting preschool this year and to me it is important that where he starts school is where he'll continue on. It may be that he wouldn't mind switching schools, but IMHO it's easier to continue with all the kids you've made friends with rather than switching which is why we're starting in our private Catholic School. However, we are fortunate because we made this decision before he was born and started researching and planning accordingly. This is not a comment on you changing schools, just a statement on where my family is. Everyone has to do what is best for them.

As we are parishioners we get a discount. They also offer a 5% discount if you pay in full at their Unpack Your Backpack night and we plan to take advantage of that as well.

We are also taking advantage of the SCRIP program at our school. Basically they sell gift cards and a percentage of that goes back to the school. Our school splits the percentage they get with the family to apply toward tuition. So, for our Disney trip this year instead of paying Disney, we bought gift cards through the school and paid with those. We've also talked with family members to buy gift cards. The percents aren't huge, but they do add up especially if you pick them up for gas or groceries. I don't know if your school has this program or not, but if so it might not hurt to take advantage of that as well. Also, since we'll pay in full in a couple weeks any SCRIP bought this year will start accumulating to apply towards next year's tuition.

However, when he hits Kindergarten he will need to comply with their uniform/dress code. Mainly it is khakis and school polos but we'll start now with nicer pants and shirts so he will be used to it.

We're also lucky that the school has undergone some renovations and now has smart boards in just about every class room and a new computer lab.

Good luck to you!

 

[Jennifer823]

DH and I both graduated from the catholic school here in town so we've always known we wanted our kids to go there also. My DD's (9th and 4th grades) both love the school. The teachers are great, the school is good about working with us financially (at least a little). DS is 3 but still has 2 years until kindgarden and I'm pregnant with #4. I had planned on DS starting Prek this year but we can't afford it right now.
Currently we live in a really bad school district so we have our home up for sale and am hoping to move one town over. When we do that, the kids will be going to public school. I wish we didn't have to do that but we dont have much choice as tuition costs have risen at least $100/month every year for the last 5 years. Plus, all the extra out of pocket costs (field trips, school supplies, uniforms, etc.)
I will tell you, you get what you pay for. I know that I love the catholic school and if we could afford to send all of our children there, we would.

I would have loved to send my kids to the local Catholic elementary and high school - but there's no way we could afford it either, so we decided to homeschool. We're going on our third year doing it, I use a Catholic curriculum and don't regret my decision Look into it, maybe it would work for you too.

 

[Colleen27]

How good is the STEM program at the neighborhood program?
It's possible that instead of paying for private, she could go with the public school and then with the money that's saved, get more extras like science camp or whatever might fit her interests.

That's a big unknown at this point. It is a first-year program just being implemented for the incoming 6th graders and will expand to 7th & 8th as they move up. However, the decision was made last year to move the district's alternative high school into a partially unused wing of the middle school, and unfortunately that wing held the only real science labs in the building. So the same year they're starting this advanced science & math program will be the first without any labs. Our district politics really suck; we're on the "cheap" end of the district as far as housing/income and 6 of 7 board members and the superintendent reside in the more upscale town at the other end of the district, so they tend to watch out for that end of things at the expense of the schools down here.

We are just embarking down this road. DS will be starting preschool this year and to me it is important that where he starts school is where he'll continue on. It may be that he wouldn't mind switching schools, but IMHO it's easier to continue with all the kids you've made friends with rather than switching which is why we're starting in our private Catholic School. However, we are fortunate because we made this decision before he was born and started researching and planning accordingly. This is not a comment on you changing schools, just a statement on where my family is. Everyone has to do what is best for them.

As we are parishioners we get a discount. They also offer a 5% discount if you pay in full at their Unpack Your Backpack night and we plan to take advantage of that as well.

We are also taking advantage of the SCRIP program at our school. Basically they sell gift cards and a percentage of that goes back to the school. Our school splits the percentage they get with the family to apply toward tuition. So, for our Disney trip this year instead of paying Disney, we bought gift cards through the school and paid with those. We've also talked with family members to buy gift cards. The percents aren't huge, but they do add up especially if you pick them up for gas or groceries. I don't know if your school has this program or not, but if so it might not hurt to take advantage of that as well. Also, since we'll pay in full in a couple weeks any SCRIP bought this year will start accumulating to apply towards next year's tuition.

Older DD is one of those that doesn't mind changing schools. She makes friends easily and her close friends are from her activities, which draw from several local schools, so school isn't a big social deal to her. We moved when she was getting ready to start 3rd grade and she did fine, so I assume she'll have no difficulty handling a change she's involved in choosing.

There really isn't a preschool choice for younger DD that will be the same group of kids as either of the K options. Because our public preschool is in the next town, some kids from our area will attend there but others attend the Catholic school or go to Head Start or to the co-op at another church in town, and quite a few kids around here don't do preschool at all.

SCRIP is something I forgot to ask about, so thank you very much for reminding me. I know the school sells it because they share a coordinator with our middle school, but I'm not sure how it applies to tuition and fees. DS's football fees are entirely covered by his SCRIP sales so I know we could make at least a little dent in tuition with it as well.

I have to say, some of the numbers that have been mentioned in this thread make me realize just how fortunate we are to have this option at all... The first year she'll get a new student incentive that will put her tuition, including books and technology fee, at $2600 for the year. After that, it'll be $4700 for just her or $8000 for both girls (non-parishoner rate; if I join the parish it would be $5750 for both).

 

[Green Tea]

We did the private thing and for us it was worth every penny. We felt the smaller class sizes, focus on all aspects of growth and not just state mandated standardized testing was important.

Most schools have a monthly payment plan where you pay it through a company like TMS (afford.com) in even payments over 10 months. It just becomes another bill and not a huge expense once a year.