HilJoy14 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) (Sorry - long - but I appreciate anyone weighing in - it helps to hear other people's perspectives!!) We have been homeschooling for two years, and while I've enjoyed it, I think I'll be glad to have them back in school next year. (Although the piles of homework and early mornings will probably make me regret the change by week two!) This decision was DD11's choice initially - her request - but I'm a WFH mom and am really burned out on working and trying to educate two kids, so I'm ready to try something new, too. We initially looked at a classical Christian school just one mile from our house - great test scores, good curriculum (very similar to what we've been doing at home). But the price - $13,000 to send both kids per year. (I know there are worse, but that hurts!) So we decided to look into the public schools to see if we'd be okay with that option... (They were both in public school before, and DH and I are both public school graduates.) After much nonsense with the public elementary school, DD9 will be going to the private classical school next year. We have to pay for it - it's just where she needs to be next year. She'll be in 5th grade (much of the issue for the public school, because of her age). So we theoretically only have to pay for it for one year, then she'll be in middle school with her sister (and since she'll have an accredited 5th grade completed, the public school can't argue with her placement anymore). We decided that the public middle school was fine for DD11 (6th grade). And I think it will be "fine". I think they're past a large part of the common core nonsense by that point (although they still have all the testing, of course). BUT...is it really "good enough"? The private school is asking kindly: if they can help us financially (once we fill out financial aid paperwork), then wouldn't we rather send DD11 to their school? And YES by the curriculum and lack of public school bureaucracy, plus smaller class sizes and more of a "family" atmosphere, etc., I WOULD rather have my kids there. BUT, do I want to pay for private school for the next 8 years?? (Or maybe even just through middle school? Who knows...) I guess we figured it was what we had to do for DD9, so we just have to make it work. But we don't "have to" keep paying for both of them to go there. As for money, we have savings (inheritance) - we don't make enough actual income right now to pay for the school (depending on what they'll give us for financial aid - we can't find out for at least another week). But we could come up with the money from savings, if we have to. My question is: How do you decide if it's worth the money or if you just go with "good enough"?? I mean, it's as much to send one of them to school as it was for me to go to college per year! I don't want to "waste" money when the public school could be just fine for them. But I don't know how to know... I mean, I might really want a high-end car, but I don't want to pay for it and will settle for "good enough". But I'm not sure that my kids' education is the right place to settle... Any thoughts are appreciated. I just can't get to an answer myself right now and would love to have other people weigh in on how they'd decide if it were their situation... ETA: DD11 doesn't want to attend the private school for two reasons: 1) uniforms, and 2) Latin is required (and she'll be behind and have to catch up). But she is a "blend in" sort of person, and I'd rather have her blend in to a higher-end-standards Christian school than a middle-of-the-road public school. I've discussed this with her, and she agrees with my assessment and sees the benefits of the private school. Still isn't her first choice, but she would live with it if we require it. Edited June 30, 2016 by HilJoy14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmamatx Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I'd apply and see. You can always decide to place the older DD in public if the cost is too high. It may be the school is trying to keep numbers up to keep from being closed. Often there is a generous tuition discount for a second child {or third, etc} as well. That plus assistance might make it cheaper to send both possibly! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 The private school is asking kindly: if they can help us financially (once we fill out financial aid paperwork), then wouldn't we rather send DD11 to their school? And YES by the curriculum and lack of public school bureaucracy, plus smaller class sizes and more of a "family" atmosphere, etc., I WOULD rather have my kids there. BUT, do I want to pay for private school for the next 8 years?? (Or maybe even just through middle school? Who knows...) I guess we figured it was what we had to do for DD9, so we just have to make it work. But we don't "have to" keep paying for both of them to go there. I guess my question is - why would sending her there for 1 year mean that you are having to continue for the next 8 years? If I were wanting to send my kids to school, and that school was an option, and I could swing it financially and/or get aid - I would send my kids to that school, together, for the next year. I would then assess how the year went and go from there. From what you are saying it sounds affordable (either with or without aid), they'd be together, and it sounds like a really great school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HilJoy14 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 I guess my question is - why would sending her there for 1 year mean that you are having to continue for the next 8 years? If I were wanting to send my kids to school, and that school was an option, and I could swing it financially and/or get aid - I would send my kids to that school, together, for the next year. I would then assess how the year went and go from there. From what you are saying it sounds affordable (either with or without aid), they'd be together, and it sounds like a really great school. You're right, of course: we don't have to send them there forever. I guess I figured 6th grade was an easy place for DD11 to slip back into public school without it being obvious that she's the "new girl" - because there are at least 4 feeder schools for the middle school, so everyone will be "new". But in 7th, it's more obvious she's new if she transfers to the public school. I was just thinking of easing transitions... But I appreciate the reminder that we CAN just try it for one year, then reassess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bocky Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I think it's true that's it easier to go in at 6th grade when everybody's new than later. My dd 14 went back for 8th and found it hard to break in socially. My questions would be what's your transportation plan? Will you have two separate drop-offs and pick-ups? How do the two schools' calendars line up? And looking forward, if you went with the private school and stayed for high school, how small are the classes? Do they have many electives? What about sports? Just more things to ponder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caviar Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 We're going through a very similar situation! I keep changing my mind every other day! But, we're also moving to a different state before school starts. Seeing as your 11 yo wants to go to school, would you be able to keep the 9 yo at home for one more year, and then have her go into school next year? Just this past Feb. I put my 11 yo back into public school because she so desperately wanted to (and I had acute bronchitis for two months, so no school work was getting done), and it made life at home much easier for everyone else. She loved it! We loved it! There's a great private school where we are moving, and she really liked it when we visited it because of the uniforms! LOL! But, they don't offer any scholarships yet because they are so new, so we made sure to buy a house in one of the better school systems in the area. My 10 yo now also wants desperately to go back to a school, and she and my 11 yo would be in the same 5th/6th school, so I think that's what we're going to do. IF the public school doesn't work out, then I know that the private school is still there, and/or I can always homeschool again. I'm trying to remind myself to keep the options open. I agree with above poster that it's easier to get in during 6th grade, that's when a lot of social groups form and remain through high school. It's also the year that a lot of new children come in to a school from other schools. Do you have any idea how the public school, that your 11 yo would be going into, is rated? Have you taken a tour of it with her? Asked others in the community what they think of it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Two words: tuition insurance. My dd dropped out after 6 weeks, and we were able to recoup half of her tuition for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HilJoy14 Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 My questions would be what's your transportation plan? Will you have two separate drop-offs and pick-ups? How do the two schools' calendars line up? And looking forward, if you went with the private school and stayed for high school, how small are the classes? Do they have many electives? What about sports? Just more things to ponder. Transportation is a bit easier if older DD goes to public school - because we live 3 blocks from the public middle school. She can walk. And that school starts later, so we'd get to sleep a bit later. The girls would actually be in different buildings for one year only at private school - with different start/end times - but we can get to both places easily enough. But days off (besides holidays and part of spring break) do NOT line up at all if one is public and one is private. So we couldn't take long weekend trips - they'd have different days off. Do you have any idea how the public school, that your 11 yo would be going into, is rated? Have you taken a tour of it with her? Asked others in the community what they think of it? I've heard the public middle school is "good". Greatschools rates them 7 out of 10 (not excellent, but fine). We have one family member with a son there, and she likes it a lot - but he's in a separate TAG program - the kids have all their classes together, so I think it's different from the "main school" for him. We don't know anyone else with kids there - there are NO kids in our immediate neighborhood (so no parents I know to ask). :( Two words: tuition insurance. My dd dropped out after 6 weeks, and we were able to recoup half of her tuition for the year. I'm almost positive they don't have anything like that at this school. I could see my older DD wanting to drop out, too... Sigh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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