Comparing Costs of Homeschooling and Public Schooling

[lonelyhomeschooler]

I was recently having a conversation irl with a friend, and it made me think? I've come to the conclusion that there really isn't a universal answer. 

 

For example, would your kids ride the bus, or would you take them to school?

Personally, our bus schedule is too inconsistent for me to trust them. There is a twenty minute window of when the buses go past our house. If the kids aren't outside waiting, the bus doesn't stop, regardless of the weather. I know a lot of parents who drive their kids to school because of this issue, and I know I would be one of them. By my calculations, that would cost me about $50 per month or $450 per school year. My curriculum budget is $450 now, so in that regard, I'm probably at least breaking even.

However, we don't do any co-ops or anything like that (I don't count costs of extracurriculars as homeschooling costs because we would be paying them - or something similar - anyway). If we joined a co-op, that would certainly add costs because we have to pay both the fee and transportation costs.  

And, of course, if your kids would ride the bus, then gas costs aren't a factor.

 

Another issue is food cost. It's $2.50 for a bottle of water at school. We have a well at home; in other words, water is free. 

Lunch is usually something like five chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, a whole wheat roll, and a small carton of 2% milk. It costs about $2-3 per day or $10-$15 per week for one meal.

I can black beans, rice, salsa, shredded cheese, and a gallon of whole for $15. That can feed my whole family lunch for at least a week, and I would argue it's healthier at the same time. However, more expensive food choices, especially if a family chooses to eat out for lunch, would negate the savings or even cost more.

And at the end of the day, if a family was eligible for free lunch, obviously, eating at home is an added cost.

 

Of course, there are many other factors with regards to costs. I chose to highlight those factors because they can go so many ways. 

At the end of the day, I can safely say that homeschooling is less expensive that public schooling for my family. I can also say that as long as the costs of homeschooling are manageable, I don't think that would be deciding factor for us. 

But what about you? Is homeschooling more or less expensive for you? Is that a factor in your choice? 

 

***

 

ETA: I want to start by saying that I do feel many people responded here in good faith, and I'm grateful for those who did, especially those who had different experiences! However, there is a portion of respondents by whom I do not feel welcomed. There are some of you who apparently think you know more about the resources available to an anon from parts unknown than the anon herself. Having to defend my daily reality to people who don't know anything about me instead of having a fun and engaging conversation about a fairly inconsequential thought-exercise has had the opposite effect of why I joined this forum. I ask that in the future, maybe consider that other people do in fact live in areas without the resources and amenities that are common where you live.  

Edited April 2 by lonelyhomeschooler
There are unfortunately people on this forum who make it difficult to discuss lived experiences if one lives in an area with few childcare resources.

[El...]

It's less expensive than the private school I'd choose, that's for sure.

But your math doesn't take into account the money I'm not making because I'm homeschooling. Of course, I do a lot of frugal things to keep our family budget under control, most of which I couldn't/wouldn't do if I worked full time.

Who knows. The math is extremely complex, and it isn't really a factor in our family decision to homeschool. 

[HomeAgain]

1. I take ds to school every day, he rides the bus home.  It is less gas weekly than getting him to violin, p.e., and book group with homeschooling (and I'm not counting field trips.).  He also gets p.e., literature discussions, and art at the school, so I'm not paying out of pocket for those (he dropped violin)

2. Lunch is free for all students here.  I also pack ds lunch and he buys an extra lunch/drink because he ate his home packed lunch during second period. He eats breakfast at home, but breakfast is also free there.  I spend about $35 every two weeks to supplement above what the school offers for free.  He brings a metal water bottle, there are water filling stations all around the school, and the front office/advisors keep water bottles on hand with the school logo for any kid that might need one.

3. My supply list is way down.  Each year I put together bags for the teachers with kleenex, boxes of pencils, dry erase markers, clorox wipes, and extra supplies they ask the kids for.  In the spring, during conferences, I bring in more kleenex and pencils.  Ds uses a Chromebook, backpack, binder, folders, pencils, and about 300 sheets of paper.  I don't buy books, usually, though I do buy him personal copies of the Latin text and English class literature.

 

It is much cheaper for me to send my child to school, and my time is money, too.  The trade off right now is HUGE.  DS is getting some really great teachers who are passionate and love their subjects.  I could not have asked for better Latin and science teachers for him.  I have time to go back to school, tutor other kids, work on hobbies, make nutritious meals, and still get ds to intensive after school activities. I am not spending 20 hours a week during the summer familiarizing myself with lessons, trying out science experiments/tweaking instructions, developing cohesive lessons that meet ds's needs.....

I loved homeschooling, but it's a lot.  It takes time, money, and energy and some years, it sapped my desire to spend that much time with my kid.  Tweens can be hard.  They're not the easiest to spend 24/7 with and stay patient.  I'm a firm believer in doing what you can, when you can, and when it's the best option.  Right now I pay less and send my kid to a school that is meeting his needs very well.  I wouldn't have said the same thing when he was younger (options were awful or expensive), but right now - yeah, I'm good paying the price and getting a kid who enthusiastically tells me what he's learning about.

 

[Clarita]

Public school would be cheaper hands down for us. Lost wages blows the whole equation out of the water. Private school on the other hand would depend on which one I pick and how far away it is. 

[lonelyhomeschooler]

1 hour ago, El... said:

It's less expensive than the private school I'd choose, that's for sure.

But your math doesn't take into account the money I'm not making because I'm homeschooling. Of course, I do a lot of frugal things to keep our family budget under control, most of which I couldn't/wouldn't do if I worked full time.

Who knows. The math is extremely complex, and it isn't really a factor in our family decision to homeschool. 

For me, there aren't a lot of well-paid jobs that I could get (pharmacy tech in an extremely flooded market). That would also require purchasing scrubs, shoes, etc. Gas becomes another major expense, as does childcare/transportation to-and-from extracurriculars.

ETA there are also the issues regarding childcare in the summer. Most jobs don't give three months off for vacation in the U.S., so finding somewhere for the kids to go and someone to watch them is a big deal. 

But that's our situation. It's complicated and different for everyone. 

Edited March 28 by thriftschooler

[lonelyhomeschooler]

26 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

1. I take ds to school every day, he rides the bus home.  It is less gas weekly than getting him to violin, p.e., and book group with homeschooling (and I'm not counting field trips.).  He also gets p.e., literature discussions, and art at the school, so I'm not paying out of pocket for those (he dropped violin)

2. Lunch is free for all students here.  I also pack ds lunch and he buys an extra lunch/drink because he ate his home packed lunch during second period. He eats breakfast at home, but breakfast is also free there.  I spend about $35 every two weeks to supplement above what the school offers for free.  He brings a metal water bottle, there are water filling stations all around the school, and the front office/advisors keep water bottles on hand with the school logo for any kid that might need one.

3. My supply list is way down.  Each year I put together bags for the teachers with kleenex, boxes of pencils, dry erase markers, clorox wipes, and extra supplies they ask the kids for.  In the spring, during conferences, I bring in more kleenex and pencils.  Ds uses a Chromebook, backpack, binder, folders, pencils, and about 300 sheets of paper.  I don't buy books, usually, though I do buy him personal copies of the Latin text and English class literature.

 

It is much cheaper for me to send my child to school, and my time is money, too.  The trade off right now is HUGE.  DS is getting some really great teachers who are passionate and love their subjects.  I could not have asked for better Latin and science teachers for him.  I have time to go back to school, tutor other kids, work on hobbies, make nutritious meals, and still get ds to intensive after school activities. I am not spending 20 hours a week during the summer familiarizing myself with lessons, trying out science experiments/tweaking instructions, developing cohesive lessons that meet ds's needs.....

I loved homeschooling, but it's a lot.  It takes time, money, and energy and some years, it sapped my desire to spend that much time with my kid.  Tweens can be hard.  They're not the easiest to spend 24/7 with and stay patient.  I'm a firm believer in doing what you can, when you can, and when it's the best option.  Right now I pay less and send my kid to a school that is meeting his needs very well.  I wouldn't have said the same thing when he was younger (options were awful or expensive), but right now - yeah, I'm good paying the price and getting a kid who enthusiastically tells me what he's learning about.

 

It's great to hear that you're having such a great experience with public schools - and saving money!

Our local schools don't even offer Latin, and there certainly aren't any literature discussions taking place. My goddaughter is in seventh grade, and she says that her science teacher gives them an assignment, then just leaves the room. I've had a lot of panicked texts asking for help. 

I'm surprised to learn your school offers the Chromebooks for free. Students have to pay an $80 rental fee each year here. 

 

All of that was to say, I'm genuinely happy that there are quality public schools available! It's good to have a reminder that they aren't unicorns, just Derby winners - in other words, they exist, even if they're rare. 

[lonelyhomeschooler]

43 minutes ago, Clarita said:

Public school would be cheaper hands down for us. Lost wages blows the whole equation out of the water. Private school on the other hand would depend on which one I pick and how far away it is. 

Low wages, costs of essentials like workwear (scrubs), and childcare/transportation to-and-from extracurriculars balances it here. 

ETA there are also the issues regarding childcare in the summer. Most jobs don't give three months off for vacation in the U.S., so finding somewhere for the kids to go and someone to watch them is a big deal. 

Edited March 28 by thriftschooler

[Carol in Cal.]

Our neighborhood schools were unacceptable to me, so it was homeschool or parochial or private.  That changes the equation.

There was a big opportunity cost for us in me not working but a big emotional and life benefit as well.  

It’s important to weigh and value the intangibles as well as the tangibles.  

[lonelyhomeschooler]

1 minute ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Our neighborhood schools were unacceptable to me, so it was homeschool or parochial or private.  That changes the equation.

There was a big opportunity cost for us in me not working but a big emotional and life benefit as well.  

It’s important to weigh and value the intangibles as well as the tangibles.  

I agree!

Our local schools are... honestly, I'm not sure that they're even better than nothing. 

[kirstenhill]

I've mainly had kids in public school for high school (plus one year where my oldest was in public school for middle school).  It's definitely cheaper in our situation to be in public school:

Public school  -  The only cost is transportation, because we live just inside the busing zone (1.9 miles). This was not a cost when my DD was in public middle school - she got to ride a free school bus.  I have estimated it's about 180/yr on gas.  Lunch is free for all students.  School supply costs are about the same as homeschool (basic supplies only - notebooks, pencils, folders, pens).  My high schoolers have needed graphing calculators, but even if they were homeschooled they would have needed them anyway, so it's not a different cost.  There aren't any other required fees.

Homeschool - There is the cost of lunch at home each day, but the big cost is buying books each year (I'd say at least $150, some years much more - I'm reusing more stuff now, but I would be buying new books for high school if we were homeschooling).  Plus in our state we are required to do a standardized test each year, and that's going to be $40 or more.   Some years we have done co-ops or classes that cost money, but this year my last homeschooler is doing part time music/gym at the public middle school he can walk to.  I think if I had high schoolers I was homeschooling, we would want to use at least some outsourced classes for rigor, which would definitely add to our costs.

This doesn't include extra curricular activities, but that varies kid to kid and some activities are the same, homeschooled or not.  - My kids do a sport that is run by a community organization for 6th-12th grade, so that is the same price no matter what the schooling options.  Music lessons are from private teachers, so that's the same for both homeschool or public school.  My oldest did not do any school clubs that had a fee (some clubs are free).  My DS17 does 3 school teams (academic competition rather than sports) that each have a fee of $125, but my youngest who is homeschooled does Chess competitions and those cost money for entry fees and for classes he takes to improve his skills.  If my DS17 did debate/speech with homeschool groups rather than school, the fees+gas to get to tournaments would be higher than we pay for the school team.   My DS15 took paid art classes as a homeschooler, but now can do art classes and clubs at school for free, though he also joined a science team that has the $125 fee.  So I feel like for extra curriculars, it is a wash, and one or the other might be cheaper depending on the kid and their interests and level of involvement.

Edited March 28 by kirstenhill
typo

[Dmmetler]

Homeschooling absolutely cost more for us, because I stayed home to do it, when I had planned to return to teaching once L was in school, since it would put us, mostly, on the same schedule. That's a loss of about 45K/year (what my step on the salary ladder was at the time). By now, it would have been about 60k/yr. 

 

Even the most expensive private school in town would have been covered by my salary loss. And I suspect the school extra expenses (school clothes, school supplies, field trips, etc) was more than eaten by my buying materials to homeschool and outside classes and activities. 

 

I don't regret it in the slightest. It was the right choice for my family. But it definitely wasn't the CHEAP choice. 

 

 

[lonelyhomeschooler]

7 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

Homeschooling absolutely cost more for us, because I stayed home to do it, when I had planned to return to teaching once L was in school, since it would put us, mostly, on the same schedule. That's a loss of about 45K/year (what my step on the salary ladder was at the time). By now, it would have been about 60k/yr. 

 

Even the most expensive private school in town would have been covered by my salary loss. And I suspect the school extra expenses (school clothes, school supplies, field trips, etc) was more than eaten by my buying materials to homeschool and outside classes and activities. 

 

I don't regret it in the slightest. It was the right choice for my family. But it definitely wasn't the CHEAP choice. 

 

 

That's a big financial decision you made. Teachers in our district make nowhere that much! I think the cap is about $35,000 for those with 10+ years. Our principals only make around $80,000. 

Yes, that means most decent teachers end up leaving for better paid districts. 

 

We have one private school in our district with academics as bad as any local public school. It's mostly a dumping ground for the misbehaving kids of out-of-towners. The cost for the day program is about $12,000, so it would quickly eat any money I made. 

[ScoutTN]

3 hours ago, Clarita said:

Public school would be cheaper hands down for us. Lost wages blows the whole equation out of the water. Private school on the other hand would depend on which one I pick and how far away it is. 

The lost wages would be true for us IF I could get a FT job. 15 months into my job search; zilch.

Edited March 28 by ScoutTN

[ScoutTN]

It’s irrelevant here, bc it’s not a choice I actually have. Ds has painted himself into a corner. The value of homeschooling is nil if the student is not bought in. 

If Ds were homeschooling, I’d be outsourcing heavily and that is expensive. School is free, but of poor academic and social quality here. Which is more valuable, the cash or the quality of the education and the community?

Otoh, he has two seasons of team sports with school, only one of which would (maybe) be available to us as homeschoolers. Financial cost of sports: $125 fee, $150 gear, $100 team snacks/food, $50 coaches’ gifts, $150 gas to away games and entrance tickets. Value of a boy having a rigorous workout and team community 5x/week for 32 weeks of the year: immense!!

Food is a wash bc Ds takes his lunch.

Travel/transportation costs are virtually the same. 
 

For my college student Dd, the tradeoffs were absolutely worth it and I don’t regret any of the costs of homeschooling her K-12. 

Edited March 30 by ScoutTN

[wendyroo]

Homeschooling is so, so, SO much more expensive for us.

Lost wages are a huge part of that. I was an engineer before having kids (and hated it), and was making ~$70k. That would have gone down a bit in absolute terms when we moved to an area with a much lower COL before our oldest was born, but it also would have gone up considerably if I had been working for the last 15 years.

But another big cost is extracurriculars. I'm sure my 10 year old would be taking piano lessons even if he was public schooled, but there is no way we would be juggling two piano lessons, one violin lesson and a music composition lesson every week if he were at school all day. We would not be paying for a full day of Spanish immersion every week. I'm sure my youngest would be in a sport or two (and she is too young for them to be through the school), but we would not be paying for team gymnastics + swimming + dance + yoga + skating every week. Oddly enough, I also lump therapy into this category, because around here there is such a shortage of kids' mental health providers, that before/after school appointments are nearly impossible to get. So my homeschooled kids can only get weekly therapy because we can go during school hours.

Thankfully, we have a half-way-between public school and homeschool option. My kids are technically public school students, get most of their curricula purchased (from a list of approved providers), get big chunks of extracurriculars paid for, and get to attend on-campus electives if they want, while retaining most of the perks of homeschooling. The cost is bureaucracy and submitting evidence of learning...but, honestly, not much more than it sounds like are required of homeschoolers in some of the higher regulation states.

[lonelyhomeschooler]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

The lost wages would be true for us IF I could get a FT job. 15 months into my job search; zilch.

Good luck in the job search!

[8filltheheart]

It is one of those questions that really doesn't matter except for the individual family.  For me, I would not have worked full time regardless of homeschooling or not.  I have no desire to work outside of the home and my dh is fully supportive of my being at home.  So, lost wages is not part of the conversation.

Homeschooling is very cheap for our family.  One main reason for that is that I rarely outsource.  I only outsource when there is a compelling reason.  So, that isn't a financial consideration.  We rarely use textbooks except for math and high school science.  So, again, not a huge expense there.

Our biggest expenses right now are private voice and violin lessons.  We would be paying for those whether they went to school or not.  So, that's a wash. 

But, homeschooling was never about a financial choice for our family.  It is about a lifestyle and academic opportunities.  I have been able to offer our kids an education that they could never have achieved in a classroom.  There is zero question in my mind that homeschooling has been the academically superior choice for our kids.  Lifestyle-wise......hands down homeschooling wins for us.

[lonelyhomeschooler]

3 minutes ago, 8filltheheart said:

It is one of those questions that really doesn't matter except for the individual family.  For me, I would not have worked full time regardless of homeschooling or not.  I have no desire to work outside of the home and my dh is fully supportive of my being at home.  So, lost wages is not part of the conversation.

Homeschooling is very cheap for our family.  One main reason for that is that I rarely outsource.  I only outsource when there is a compelling reason.  So, that isn't a financial consideration.  We rarely use textbooks except for math and high school science.  So, again, not a huge expense there.

Our biggest expenses right now are private voice and violin lessons.  We would be paying for those whether they went to school or not.  So, that's a wash. 

But, homeschooling was never about a financial choice for our family.  It is about a lifestyle and academic opportunities.  I have been able to offer our kids an education that they could never have achieved in a classroom.  There is zero question in my mind that homeschooling has been the academically superior choice for our kids.  Lifestyle-wise......hands down homeschooling wins for us.

Your homeschool sounds pretty similar to ours! 

I don't think many families would choose to homeschool because it's cheaper. In the case of the conversation I had, a friend was concerned she couldn't afford it, that it would be extremely expensive to homeschool. 

[8filltheheart]

2 minutes ago, thriftschooler said:

Your homeschool sounds pretty similar to ours! 

I don't think many families would choose to homeschool because it's cheaper. In the case of the conversation I had, a friend was concerned she couldn't afford it, that it would be extremely expensive to homeschool. 

Well, it can be.  It all depends on your choices.  People who outsource everything starting in K are going to be paying for it.  I listen to moms talk about CC expenses (CC is huge here).  They pay more for CC for elementary kids than I spend on high school (even paying for an outsourced class.)   When I talk to new moms about not outsourcing, though, they look at me like I have 2 heads.  It is definitely not the norm.  So, in the outsourcing world, if that is whom your friend has been speaking with, yes, homeschooling is expensive.

[lonelyhomeschooler]

5 minutes ago, 8filltheheart said:

Well, it can be.  It all depends on your choices.  People who outsource everything starting in K are going to be paying for it.  I listen to moms talk about CC expenses (CC is huge here).  They pay more for CC for elementary kids than I spend on high school (even paying for an outsourced class.)   When I talk to new moms about not outsourcing, though, they look at me like I have 2 heads.  It is definitely not the norm.  So, in the outsourcing world, if that is whom your friend has been speaking with, yes, homeschooling is expensive.

Homeschooling isn't very big here, so she hasn't really spoken to many people. A lot of what she was hearing was from the other side of the argument: people trying to convince her that public schooling was so much cheaper. 

I think she's going to give it a try next year (Kindergarten). 

[Wheres Toto]

Finances definitely would be better for us if the kids went to school.   We don't spend much on curriculum anymore, don't pay for many classes or do any coops, transportation and food are a wash.  But last time I worked full time (while we were homeschooling, we hired a private teacher), I made $60,000 a year as an executive assistant.   And we have very good public schools so we wouldn't be paying for private school or anything like that.  

[Clarita]

13 minutes ago, thriftschooler said:

Homeschooling isn't very big here, so she hasn't really spoken to many people. A lot of what she was hearing was from the other side of the argument: people trying to convince her that public schooling was so much cheaper. 

The people aren't wrong and it would be really hard to convince her to homeschool because homeschool would be cheaper than public school (public school is subsidized from the government). It is the point of public school to provide free and affordable education to the public. Our school district offers free lunch for everyone, water is available on tap at school but you could bring personal water bottle from home if you are concerned about tap water. If you are low income and qualify after school care can be subsidized to free.  

I think the convincing should be on how she can afford homeschooling not that it would be cheaper. 

[lonelyhomeschooler]

20 minutes ago, Clarita said:

The people aren't wrong and it would be really hard to convince her to homeschool because homeschool would be cheaper than public school (public school is subsidized from the government). It is the point of public school to provide free and affordable education to the public. Our school district offers free lunch for everyone, water is available on tap at school but you could bring personal water bottle from home if you are concerned about tap water. If you are low income and qualify after school care can be subsidized to free.  

I think the convincing should be on how she can afford homeschooling not that it would be cheaper. 

Well, what our schools offer barely qualifies as an education, and it arguably isn't affordable. But that's another post for another time. 

I already explained that meals aren't free here. And, no, there is no subsidized afterschool care; I'm sure those programs are available somewhere in my state, but there aren't any programs like that locally. I would have to pay an individual to watch my kids, and that is assuming I could find someone who is willing and trustworthy. 

I'm being honest when I say that homeschooling is a fair bit cheaper for my family than public school. 

 

Anyway, you left this part out of your quote, but I do think she is going to try homeschooling next year. 

Edited March 28 by thriftschooler
added the word locally

[SilverMoon]

$50 a month for gas sounds ridiculously cheap. That would assume a good school very near my home, which is not our reality. One more district down the road crosses a magical line that means no bus option. 

One of mine would not be able to eat school lunches and would need to bring his own. His health would depend on other families following the no nuts policy and we'd definitely need more epi pens. The not homegrown kid (who has gone to public) hated the lunch line chaos and would only eat if I sent it with him. That leaves the very picky eater who'd much rather bring his own, so I'm 3:3 not getting free/cheap lunches. 

Then there are fees for performing arts, sports, etc.

They'd all need more streetwear clothing than they own now. 

 

I didn't include the extracurriculars they'd be doing regardless. I could potentially earn more than I do now but I'd still be working from home.

What we spend on curriculum isn't that bad in comparison. 🤷‍♀️😄 

[Dmmetler]

There's also an economy of scale in homeschooling. It honestly didn't cost me much in addition to start homeschooling M and C because I already had all the materials and I was already home. I was already doing the homeschool clubs as a social and academic outlet, so that wasn't an extra charge, and piano with me and swimming at Mom's job are their extracurriculars. And it helped meet L's social needs, so my only child needed fewer extracurriculars. 

 

For a big family, I could EASILY see how homeschooling could be cheaper. If you have preschool children who need child care, plus all the PS costs (and maybe after school care), it could quickly cost a lot more than one person makes. 

[Clemsondana]

For us, I don't think it's possible to compare costs.  Some things might be the same - I'd probably pack lunches for my kids to take to school, and the lunches might be similar in cost to what we eat at home.  We would probably drive far less.  My kids do several extracurriculars that wouldn't all be possible at school because all of the practices couldn't fit after school.   Practices for their extracurriculars would all be at the school, which is convenient, instead of scattered across town in whatever church is letting the homeschool group use their facility to practice.  I pay for co-op classes, but I make enough with my teaching to cover education expenses (materials for home-based classes and outsourced classes).  I might have been working a normal job during this time, but since our plan is for me to up my volunteer game after the kids are out of the house it's also possible that I would have been the unpaid PTA/homeroom mom during my kids' school years.  Clothing costs are likely lower, as is the cost of school supplies.  I have not had to do last-minute dioramas, or scour town for a specific size and color of notebook or folder, and that has been priceless.  

Homeschooling is definitely less expensive than any private school option, but I can't say for sure how it would compare to public school costs.  For us it is definitely about opportunity.  The kids have had a deeper education that is individualized.  They have gotten to do cool things that they couldn't have done in school - some trips, some activities -  and to do more things because they aren't constrained to a school schedule.  For years, we've had Science Olympiad practice on Fridays for several months each year, and the kids do their school work on Saturday, or Friday night, or they work ahead.  My older did at least 1 credit every summer in high school, and did a heavier load in the fall, to lighten the load for spring when Science Olympiad and sport make things busy.  Our homeschooling looks different from some on this board, but it has suited our family.  

[ieta_cassiopeia]

Where I live (central England), the cost of public school itself varies quite a bit, although it is hardly ever free.

Uniforms: there will almost certainly be one. £250 per year (on top of the amount that would have been bought if homeschooling) is typical, but some primary schools may only cost around £40 per year (two sets of regular clothing that happens to be in a specific colour, with the average year containing a mid-year growth spurt). Some of the stricter secondary schools can be more like £400 per year, due to wanting a much longer list of items from a specific supplier.

Books: Usually none in primary school. Often rises to £10-£30 a year (fee includes all subjects; schools differ for which subjects attract the charge) in secondary school, plus another £10-£30 for each course that has an exam at the end of that specific year to cover revision materials (so maths would get the extra charge in GCSE year but not the others).

Other supplies: similar to what the same items would cost in homeschool. Schools have different lists of what is required, but these are often shorter than I've heard is common in USA schools (there's no expectation of supplying tissues to the teachers, for instance - as you will see, schools typically prefer financial donations if they're soliciting contributions at all).
 

Lunch: the absolute bugbear of many cost-conscious parents. Typically £2.50 per meal, and it's common knowledge by this point that in many schools, they only get 61 p per meal spent on the ingredients because the law requires it. (Costs to external suppliers for labour and services are the most commonly-cited additional costs in audits, though the sheer cost of heating is becoming an increasing factor, and ingredient costs are themselves rising). Quantities are reducing and unhealthy food is creeping back onto the menu simply to make the figures work. It has reached the point where it is usually half the price, and often healthier, to send in a packed lunch with pre-packaged ingredients (so, not even taking the home-made element into account) - if the school permits this. An increasing number of students also find school food unpalatable due to these changes, meaning that expenditure gains absolutely nothing. This is where the cost saving of homeschooling is most transparent.

Some schools cost less than this, some give out actually nutritious meals. Breakfast is free where offered, and all primary schools are required to offer it (some secondary schools do too, especially in high-poverty or very affluent areas), but is a drop in the ocean in comparison to the high cost of lunch. School is 39 weeks a year in central England, so typical saving on lunch for homeschooling works out at £487.50 per year (assuming homeschooling lunch is a pre-packed meal from a shop rather than the cheaper but more variable cost of home cooking). The calculation also assumes that free school meals are not in play - this happens automatically in some schools (either for specific year groups or the entire school, the latter being more common at special schools and places where most people are low-income), but otherwise only covers students whose parents earn below a certain income that's largely only possible if the household is running on government benefits and/or part-time income(s) (the threshold is below a single full-time minimum wage).

Transport: increasingly, even free public transport requires a £10 annual fee for the photo (as school buses start letting fee-paying general members of the public use the buses to save money and increase rural transport options for adults, on the understanding that they are then bound by the same rules as the children on board). However, even this only helps if one lives near a bus route. Otherwise, walking (the officially encouraged option), cycling or the car are the only options, and many school routes are considered too unsafe for children to walk due to inconsiderate traffic, bullying and/or badly-planned access routes to the school. Cycling sheds and the like are often no longer provided by schools as security cannot be guaranteed. Students with special educational needs that involve transport get that transport free (even if it is an adapted taxi) since otherwise most of them could not access school at all. The car costs an average of 20 gallons per year, currently £160, but if it's on the way to work that's somewhat cheaper.

After-school clubs: often attract fees of £2-£3 a session nowadays, to pay for the teacher. This is far from a blanket rule, and many schools that do charge have free alternatives (e.g. the ability to use the library while waiting for transport home instead).

Donations: British schools rarely have teacher kit lists, but many schools do solicit for donations. There are strict rules about this. Community events that are also fundraising are common and traditional (e.g. May Day carnivals, Christmas choir concerts). Some schools outright request donations (£10-£50 a year is typical) but the wording is tightly controlled - schools have to make it clear that schooling won't be affected for the specific children whose parents don't partake, also there have to be protections if someone on a sufficiently low income tries to donate (to make sure it's not peer pressure or inadvertent child coercion at play). However, parents do feel that pressure and it's not surprising if parents are finding themselves paying, say, £30-£40 a year on these elements.

Sometimes there is separate fundraising or per-participant fees for specific elaborate field trips (think "spend a week abroad" or "three-day adventure trip"), although the typical field trip integrated into school hours is free (apart from optional gift shop expenditure and any extra clothes needed - that would probably have been bought anyway had a homeschooler organised the trip). The exception is if the location charges schools entry fees for children of the age that are visiting, which is not a given even for museums that charge homeschoolers (local schools often get free entry to paid-for educational attractions as a gesture of goodwill).

Note that British homeschoolers often put students into college for examinable subjects on exam year, simply because otherwise it can cost around £400 per subject to get assessed, and an academically-included student typically needs 5 (GCSE Maths/English and 3 A-Levels or equivalently-priced qualifications appropriate to their preferred degree). Another big complaint from homeschoolers.

[Eos]

The biggest costs for us were during high school. Kindergarten and the early grades were more or less free; I think I would have bought the same books had they been in school. Math books were the difference, I guess. We traveled a bit when the older two were young which would not have happened if they were in school so that was certainly more expensive. Youngest did some outsourced classes starting in middle school, and seeing how many people outsource now that is likely to be a cost to her unless she makes a decision not to.

Three of mine did DE which was a large cost. The local LAC has a program for people in the county to pay $1,000 for a class. The closest community college and state university are an hour away, which would have been cheaper but logistically out of the question.

One kid cost way more than the others for everything music-related: lessons, travel to lessons, instrument rental. As a teen dd put on fundraisers and received scholarships to attend music festivals which would have otherwise been thousands of dollars. However, I'm unsure whether that would have been a cost if she had been in school as I don't think she would have had time or focus to get to the level required (obviously plenty of school kids do achieve that level but that probably wouldn't have worked for this particular kid.) The investment in this level of music paid off with an all-expenses full ride through college/conservatory, but the costs during homeschool were serious.

I think that not putting mine in school insulated us from certain peer-related expenses. None of them asked for things they might have seen and wanted at school, other than youngest wanting "skinny jeans" that she saw the other homeschooled girls wearing. They didn't drive until they were 17 or 18, none had phones before 16.

Edited March 29 by Eos

[freesia]

It is so variable! High school definitely would have been less expensive if we’d sent them to public school. Homeschooling was less expensive than any of the private schools. ( other than if we figure in my lost teaching salary which would have made it comparable to some, but still less than others. However, I likely would have stayed home for most of those years because our family runs best with a slower pace than if we’d both worked full time.)

[lonelyhomeschooler]

17 hours ago, SilverMoon said:

$50 a month for gas sounds ridiculously cheap. That would assume a good school very near my home, which is not our reality. One more district down the road crosses a magical line that means no bus option. 

One of mine would not be able to eat school lunches and would need to bring his own. His health would depend on other families following the no nuts policy and we'd definitely need more epi pens. The not homegrown kid (who has gone to public) hated the lunch line chaos and would only eat if I sent it with him. That leaves the very picky eater who'd much rather bring his own, so I'm 3:3 not getting free/cheap lunches. 

Then there are fees for performing arts, sports, etc.

They'd all need more streetwear clothing than they own now. 

 

I didn't include the extracurriculars they'd be doing regardless. I could potentially earn more than I do now but I'd still be working from home.

What we spend on curriculum isn't that bad in comparison. 🤷‍♀️😄 

The idea of more clothes is a big concern. I know some public schools are requiring uniforms now, and that sounds like a headache. I also know bullying is awful about these things; a friend's daughter was bullied over her winter coat so much that she wouldn't wear it (mom had tried to save money and picked one up at TJ Maxx, thinking it was cute; she ended up having to go on a hunt for the "right" coat that her daughter had asked for before school started). 

[lonelyhomeschooler]

16 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

There's also an economy of scale in homeschooling. It honestly didn't cost me much in addition to start homeschooling M and C because I already had all the materials and I was already home. I was already doing the homeschool clubs as a social and academic outlet, so that wasn't an extra charge, and piano with me and swimming at Mom's job are their extracurriculars. And it helped meet L's social needs, so my only child needed fewer extracurriculars. 

 

For a big family, I could EASILY see how homeschooling could be cheaper. If you have preschool children who need child care, plus all the PS costs (and maybe after school care), it could quickly cost a lot more than one person makes. 

Yes, exactly! 

So much is based on what each family would need, and what is available to them. Do they make below the threshold to qualify for assistance? Or do they make say $5000 over, so they really can't afford it but they also can't get help? It's such a nuanced mess that nobody can really answer for anyone else.

[lonelyhomeschooler]

15 hours ago, Clemsondana said:

For us, I don't think it's possible to compare costs.  Some things might be the same - I'd probably pack lunches for my kids to take to school, and the lunches might be similar in cost to what we eat at home.  We would probably drive far less.  My kids do several extracurriculars that wouldn't all be possible at school because all of the practices couldn't fit after school.   Practices for their extracurriculars would all be at the school, which is convenient, instead of scattered across town in whatever church is letting the homeschool group use their facility to practice.  I pay for co-op classes, but I make enough with my teaching to cover education expenses (materials for home-based classes and outsourced classes).  I might have been working a normal job during this time, but since our plan is for me to up my volunteer game after the kids are out of the house it's also possible that I would have been the unpaid PTA/homeroom mom during my kids' school years.  Clothing costs are likely lower, as is the cost of school supplies.  I have not had to do last-minute dioramas, or scour town for a specific size and color of notebook or folder, and that has been priceless.  

Homeschooling is definitely less expensive than any private school option, but I can't say for sure how it would compare to public school costs.  For us it is definitely about opportunity.  The kids have had a deeper education that is individualized.  They have gotten to do cool things that they couldn't have done in school - some trips, some activities -  and to do more things because they aren't constrained to a school schedule.  For years, we've had Science Olympiad practice on Fridays for several months each year, and the kids do their school work on Saturday, or Friday night, or they work ahead.  My older did at least 1 credit every summer in high school, and did a heavier load in the fall, to lighten the load for spring when Science Olympiad and sport make things busy.  Our homeschooling looks different from some on this board, but it has suited our family.  

The beautiful thing about homeschooling, at least in my humble opinion, is that it can look like whatever our families need it to look like at any given time.

[lonelyhomeschooler]

7 hours ago, ieta_cassiopeia said:

Where I live (central England), the cost of public school itself varies quite a bit, although it is hardly ever free.

Uniforms: there will almost certainly be one. £250 per year (on top of the amount that would have been bought if homeschooling) is typical, but some primary schools may only cost around £40 per year (two sets of regular clothing that happens to be in a specific colour, with the average year containing a mid-year growth spurt). Some of the stricter secondary schools can be more like £400 per year, due to wanting a much longer list of items from a specific supplier.

Books: Usually none in primary school. Often rises to £10-£30 a year (fee includes all subjects; schools differ for which subjects attract the charge) in secondary school, plus another £10-£30 for each course that has an exam at the end of that specific year to cover revision materials (so maths would get the extra charge in GCSE year but not the others).

Other supplies: similar to what the same items would cost in homeschool. Schools have different lists of what is required, but these are often shorter than I've heard is common in USA schools (there's no expectation of supplying tissues to the teachers, for instance - as you will see, schools typically prefer financial donations if they're soliciting contributions at all).
 

Lunch: the absolute bugbear of many cost-conscious parents. Typically £2.50 per meal, and it's common knowledge by this point that in many schools, they only get 61 p per meal spent on the ingredients because the law requires it. (Costs to external suppliers for labour and services are the most commonly-cited additional costs in audits, though the sheer cost of heating is becoming an increasing factor, and ingredient costs are themselves rising). Quantities are reducing and unhealthy food is creeping back onto the menu simply to make the figures work. It has reached the point where it is usually half the price, and often healthier, to send in a packed lunch with pre-packaged ingredients (so, not even taking the home-made element into account) - if the school permits this. An increasing number of students also find school food unpalatable due to these changes, meaning that expenditure gains absolutely nothing. This is where the cost saving of homeschooling is most transparent.

Some schools cost less than this, some give out actually nutritious meals. Breakfast is free where offered, and all primary schools are required to offer it (some secondary schools do too, especially in high-poverty or very affluent areas), but is a drop in the ocean in comparison to the high cost of lunch. School is 39 weeks a year in central England, so typical saving on lunch for homeschooling works out at £487.50 per year (assuming homeschooling lunch is a pre-packed meal from a shop rather than the cheaper but more variable cost of home cooking). The calculation also assumes that free school meals are not in play - this happens automatically in some schools (either for specific year groups or the entire school, the latter being more common at special schools and places where most people are low-income), but otherwise only covers students whose parents earn below a certain income that's largely only possible if the household is running on government benefits and/or part-time income(s) (the threshold is below a single full-time minimum wage).

Transport: increasingly, even free public transport requires a £10 annual fee for the photo (as school buses start letting fee-paying general members of the public use the buses to save money and increase rural transport options for adults, on the understanding that they are then bound by the same rules as the children on board). However, even this only helps if one lives near a bus route. Otherwise, walking (the officially encouraged option), cycling or the car are the only options, and many school routes are considered too unsafe for children to walk due to inconsiderate traffic, bullying and/or badly-planned access routes to the school. Cycling sheds and the like are often no longer provided by schools as security cannot be guaranteed. Students with special educational needs that involve transport get that transport free (even if it is an adapted taxi) since otherwise most of them could not access school at all. The car costs an average of 20 gallons per year, currently £160, but if it's on the way to work that's somewhat cheaper.

After-school clubs: often attract fees of £2-£3 a session nowadays, to pay for the teacher. This is far from a blanket rule, and many schools that do charge have free alternatives (e.g. the ability to use the library while waiting for transport home instead).

Donations: British schools rarely have teacher kit lists, but many schools do solicit for donations. There are strict rules about this. Community events that are also fundraising are common and traditional (e.g. May Day carnivals, Christmas choir concerts). Some schools outright request donations (£10-£50 a year is typical) but the wording is tightly controlled - schools have to make it clear that schooling won't be affected for the specific children whose parents don't partake, also there have to be protections if someone on a sufficiently low income tries to donate (to make sure it's not peer pressure or inadvertent child coercion at play). However, parents do feel that pressure and it's not surprising if parents are finding themselves paying, say, £30-£40 a year on these elements.

Sometimes there is separate fundraising or per-participant fees for specific elaborate field trips (think "spend a week abroad" or "three-day adventure trip"), although the typical field trip integrated into school hours is free (apart from optional gift shop expenditure and any extra clothes needed - that would probably have been bought anyway had a homeschooler organised the trip). The exception is if the location charges schools entry fees for children of the age that are visiting, which is not a given even for museums that charge homeschoolers (local schools often get free entry to paid-for educational attractions as a gesture of goodwill).

Note that British homeschoolers often put students into college for examinable subjects on exam year, simply because otherwise it can cost around £400 per subject to get assessed, and an academically-included student typically needs 5 (GCSE Maths/English and 3 A-Levels or equivalently-priced qualifications appropriate to their preferred degree). Another big complaint from homeschoolers.

All American schools are different, but, at least locally, we get a lot of fundraisers. This year alone, I've had friends selling chocolate, tiny bundt cakes (overpriced at $5 each), doughnuts, cookies, candy, etc. Selling school/mascot apparel is a big fundraiser too. My grandparents have two themed cowbells "for football games," so I wouldn't be shamed for not selling any.

That's another big issue with American schools, at least in my experiences. Often, they had some sort of reward - usually a free day or free half-day, often with snowcones or some other treat - if you sold a certain amount of whatever the latest gimmick was. If you didn't meet that goal, you got stuck in a classroom doing busywork. We ended up with a stand-up deep freezer full of Krispie Kreme doughnuts in third grade, so I wouldn't get stuck like that.

[ieta_cassiopeia]

2 hours ago, thriftschooler said:

That's another big issue with American schools, at least in my experiences. Often, they had some sort of reward - usually a free day or free half-day, often with snowcones or some other treat - if you sold a certain amount of whatever the latest gimmick was.

Yikes! The only time there was an intentional reward or penalty connected with any of the fundraisers I've seen or participated in at schools so far was the threat of detention for deliberately messing up (if a student chose not to participate, the penalty was only possible if the student had deliberately interfered with the letter informing the parent of the event - and in these days where email and texts are preferred, not every student would be given a letter to lose/damage in the first place). Also, the children in my experience never sold anything to benefit the school individually - rather, the children would sing/play instruments/dance round a maypole and the adults got the job of selling things and soliciting donations.

[AnneGG]

I don’t count fuel, lunch, and clothing as educational expenses. Those are just… expenses. If you have a kid, you’re going to need to drive them places. You’re going to need to feed and clothe them.
 

I don’t count books as homeschool expenses unless they are specific to our curriculum. If the kid wants a book about space, I get him a book about space. He might be interested in space regardless of where he is educated.  
 

Curriculum can be expensive. But how do we define expensive? I went to a coffee shop last week and paid $8 for a medium iced vanilla coffee with cream and sugar. Nothing fancy. $8. My aluminum free deodorant is now $12.99. 🤯 Organic Milk is $8.99 a gallon. I mean, honestly, what’s a couple hundred dollars on curriculum? That’s like the equivalent to a month of groceries nowadays. 
 

The real issue for us is loss of a 2nd income. However, we also have a breastfed baby and a toddler that’s not toilet trained yet. So I would likely be staying home anyway. Daycare is like $3k a month for two kids. Plus, I would need to update my entire wardrobe in order to look half way decent in a professional setting. And I would need to do something about my hair. I mean, I look cute for library trips, but rolling into a business meeting in a messy bun with split ends peeking out is a no go. 

[lonelyhomeschooler]

4 minutes ago, AnneGG said:

I don’t count fuel, lunch, and clothing as educational expenses. Those are just… expenses. If you have a kid, you’re going to need to drive them places. You’re going to need to feed and clothe them.
 

I don’t count books as homeschool expenses unless they are specific to our curriculum. If the kid wants a book about space, I get him a book about space. He might be interested in space regardless of where he is educated.  
 

Curriculum can be expensive. But how do we define expensive? I went to a coffee shop last week and paid $8 for a medium iced vanilla coffee with cream and sugar. Nothing fancy. $8. My aluminum free deodorant is now $12.99. 🤯 Organic Milk is $8.99 a gallon. I mean, honestly, what’s a couple hundred dollars on curriculum? That’s like the equivalent to a month of groceries nowadays. 
 

The real issue for us is loss of a 2nd income. However, we also have a breastfed baby and a toddler that’s not toilet trained yet. So I would likely be staying home anyway. Daycare is like $3k a month for two kids. Plus, I would need to update my entire wardrobe in order to look half way decent in a professional setting. And I would need to do something about my hair. I mean, I look cute for library trips, but rolling into a business meeting in a messy bun with split ends peeking out is a no go. 

I count gas as education expenses when it can be directly related to education. I'm not driving my kids to school everyday, so that is money I'm not spending. As for lunch, sure, they would need to eat, but the cost is quite different between what we spend at home and what they would get at school. But I do see your point that they might just be regular expenses. 

I mean, for us, we have to budget to afford curriculum. It's a careful month-by-month plan. My kids education is certainly worth the expense, but that doesn't change the fact that I can't just up and buy everything I want in June or July. 

Yeah, childcare can eat up a second income like little else. 

[SilverMoon]

If all mine were little I might agree with the clothing assessment. With three teenage boys my clothing budget would absolutely need to be bigger if they all went to public school. Currently they don't need to regularly have 5-6 days of "out all day" clothes with enough variety to not look like they're wearing the same thing week after week, so they don't have that much. 

They do have more dance class clothes than streetwear, but their dancewear needs won't decline regardless of where they're educated, and they're not about to start wearing leggings to high school. 😄

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, AnneGG said:

Curriculum can be expensive. But how do we define expensive? I went to a coffee shop last week and paid $8 for a medium iced vanilla coffee with cream and sugar. Nothing fancy. $8. My aluminum free deodorant is now $12.99. 🤯 Organic Milk is $8.99 a gallon. I mean, honestly, what’s a couple hundred dollars on curriculum? That’s like the equivalent to a month of groceries nowadays. 

I've been looking at the MCT Poodle books for a few months thinking "Oh they are so expensive". Then I went to use some Starbucks gift cards I got for Christmas. I was shocked that $5 did not get me a regular size drink (sure it wasn't the just a coffee but still...). If I substituted coffee drinks for dollars in terms of curriculum it seems super cheap.  

[AnneGG]

16 hours ago, Clarita said:

I've been looking at the MCT Poodle books for a few months thinking "Oh they are so expensive". Then I went to use some Starbucks gift cards I got for Christmas. I was shocked that $5 did not get me a regular size drink (sure it wasn't the just a coffee but still...). If I substituted coffee drinks for dollars in terms of curriculum it seems super cheap.  

And then they ask for a tip! 
 

I had a free trial for the Panera Sip Club. I usually just run in and order my cup at the kiosk because it’s faster than the drive thru. Yesterday the self serve kiosk asked if I wanted to leave a tip! It’s a self serve coffee station! 

[MiddleCourt]

5 hours ago, AnneGG said:

And then they ask for a tip! 
 

I had a free trial for the Panera Sip Club. I usually just run in and order my cup at the kiosk because it’s faster than the drive thru. Yesterday the self serve kiosk asked if I wanted to leave a tip! It’s a self serve coffee station! 

I ordered a Christmas present online (tote bag) and when I paid it asked me if I wanted to leave a tip. Ummm for who?! That was a first and hopefully a last. 

[Lori D.]

5 hours ago, AnneGG said:

...I had a free trial for the Panera Sip Club. I usually just run in and order my cup at the kiosk because it’s faster than the drive thru. Yesterday the self serve kiosk asked if I wanted to leave a tip! It’s a self serve coffee station! 

You, to the Panera kiosk: "Why yes thank you, I'd love for you to give me a tip for serving myself! How generous and thoughtful of you!" 😉 

[JessinTX]

For us I'm not sure that homeschooling is CHEAPER than public schooling but there are a lot of costs that I think some of my friends don't consider when they tell me they can use the public schools for free. My oldest went to public school through 7th grade and it definitely cost money....

Clothes are absolutely a cost. A lot of schools here are uniformed which are not supplied by the school. Even where uniforms are not required dress codes are very specific and I definitely bought clothes just for school. And of course you have to have the "right" clothes and shoes. And backpack. I've bought two backpacks in the last 10 years (both relatively cheap ones). I used to buy 2 a year. 

And I buy school supplies now, but I buy what I know we need and will use, and I buy when I can get a good deal and the brands I want. I'm not buying 20 glue sticks per kid. I don't have to buy new scissors and headphones every year. I'm not supplying Kleenex and paper towels and cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer beyond my own households needs - which might be slightly more than if my kids weren't home all day, but not much more I don't think. 

And the nearly constant requests for donations for this, fundraisers for that, t-shirts sold for something every other month. First day gifts for teachers, Christmas gifts, Teacher appreciation gifts. Themed days that you have to buy special outfits for. Projects you have to buy supplies for (I buy project supplies now, but at least I have some control over deciding on the project and what kind supplies it will require.) Field trips and class parties that have fees or donations needed. Sno-cone days that you have to send money for of course. Of course, none of these (except perhaps the class projects) are REQUIRED per se, but really am I going to have my kid be the only one that doesn't get the t-shirt or bring something for the class party? 

Salary does make up for a lot of those costs - I gave up a full-time job when we decided to homeschool, but the school schedules don't conform very well to most work schedules. Generally I could make the morning drop-off or bus pick-up work and avoid before school care, but I never had a job where I was off in time to pick my kid up at 3 - so there was after school care. And then all the random days they just don't have school or have half days - more childcare. Summer break, spring break, Christmas break. More childcare. It adds up! 

Public schooling ain't FREE. That is for sure. 

[ScoutTN]

Public charter high school:

0 supplies or supply fee (7 spiral notebooks and some pens each year, less than what my homeschooler used)
0 project supplies
0 fundraisers
0 field trip costs
0 clothes other than normal sweats/jeans/t shirts/athletic shoes
0 childcare (high school, walking distance from home)

$500 in athletics cost for 2 sports, but half of that we’d be doing anyway, just in a different sport.

Sport with our zoned high school:

1 athletic fundraiser In two years, 0 cost to us.

[wendyroo]

35 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

Public charter high school:

0 supplies or supply fee (7 spiral notebooks and some pens each year, less than what my homeschooler used)
0 project supplies
0 fundraisers
0 field trip costs
0 clothes other than normal sweats/jeans/t shirts/athletic shoes
0 childcare (high school, walking distance from home)

$500 in athletics cost for 2 sports, but half of that we’d be doing anyway, just in a different sport.

Sport with our zoned high school:

1 athletic fundraiser In two years, 0 cost to us.

This is pretty much exactly our experience with public school 5th - 9th grades. 

Plus, Elliot is HARD on supplies, and after we sent in the very reasonable requested supplies at the beginning of each year (one binder, a couple folders, a couple notebooks, a couple writing utensils), the school has replaced them as he loses and breaks them. He evens came home with a new backpack from school when he swung his old one around until the strap ripped off. 

The school offers free after school care for elementary and middle school, and free summer school for anyone who chooses to take classes. 

Breakfasts and lunches are free for everyone (through the summer too), fundraisers are entirely optional, field trips are reasonably priced and there is a plentiful scholarship fund to pay for anyone who needs it. Busing is usually convenient…and they have not pushed back against paying for special needs busing for Elliot  

For us public school is very nearly free. 

[prairiewindmomma]

I have kids in public school, I have a kid I homeschool. Hands down, it is cheaper for me to send them to public school in my current state. We have free buses, free meals, no enrollment or book fees, no technology fees. Our district will even lend you a hotspot if you dont have home internet access. Our district also has before and afterschool care available on a sliding scale fee and meal pantries for families and clothing vouchers.

In a previous state, it was cheaper to homeschool only if you had multiple kids all under 8th grade. 

Lost salary dollars are one thing, but I will also say at my age I regret the lost social security credits. I listened to the propaganda about how expensive childcare is, how much you can save by making your own bread and thrifting clothes,  etc. without contemplating seriously that having fewer kids and getting them to age 5 and into school would have freed me up to return to work a lot sooner. Once you are out of the workforce a while it is so much harder to break back in. 
 

You can only “save” so much. At some point the hard reality of limited income + rising expenses (rising faster than income) comes to bite you.

[JessinTX]

Quote

This is pretty much exactly our experience with public school 5th - 9th grades. 

Plus, Elliot is HARD on supplies, and after we sent in the very reasonable requested supplies at the beginning of each year (one binder, a couple folders, a couple notebooks, a couple writing utensils), the school has replaced them as he loses and breaks them. He evens came home with a new backpack from school when he swung his old one around until the strap ripped off. 

The school offers free after school care for elementary and middle school, and free summer school for anyone who chooses to take classes. 

Breakfasts and lunches are free for everyone (through the summer too), fundraisers are entirely optional, field trips are reasonably priced and there is a plentiful scholarship fund to pay for anyone who needs it. Busing is usually convenient…and they have not pushed back against paying for special needs busing for Elliot  

For us public school is very nearly free. 

@wendyroo this reality you live in is wild to me.... like some kind of Oz.

Here in TX they tell us we are lucky we don't have state income taxes - even though our property taxes and sales taxes are quite high to support the public schools, who still have to/want to raise money right and left for all the things. We used to have free lunches over the summer for kids who qualified for free lunches, but our governor, in his infinite wisdom, decided to put a stop to that - can't be having too much free stuff you know, and since they won't be inconveniencing any school staff by going hungry over the summer it's not a problem. 

Bussing was the one thing they didn't push back on with my special needs daughter. Of course, you couldn't rely on the bus to show up at a consistent time or get your kid to school on time, Can't tell you how many times I was late to work because the bus showed up not a little late but really really late. But they didn't seem to mind offering it at least, unlike every other therapy or service I ever requested. 

You might think this is just an example of a really bad school district, but it's not. It not the top in the state, but solidly above average, and the particular schools we are zoned to attend in the district are some of the best. 

It's really crazy how educational access can vary so wildly from state to state - even district to district. It's part of what's wrong with the public education system I think.

I kind of went off on a tangent, but to bring it back, it's ironic that if we had been in a school like yours I don't think we would have ever tried homeschooling, but it's been one of the best things I ever did for my family, and I never intend (of course you don't know what the future may bring) to anything but homeschool my younger daughter. 

[Eos]

On 3/30/2024 at 5:59 PM, JessinTX said:

20 glue sticks per kid.

From the retired side - why do I have all these glue sticks? Plus Mod Podge, Elmer's, wood glue, glitter glue, model glue, and other post-homeschooling artifacts to ponder...🙂

Edited April 2 by Eos

[lonelyhomeschooler]

19 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I have kids in public school, I have a kid I homeschool. Hands down, it is cheaper for me to send them to public school in my current state. We have free buses, free meals, no enrollment or book fees, no technology fees. Our district will even lend you a hotspot if you dont have home internet access. Our district also has before and afterschool care available on a sliding scale fee and meal pantries for families and clothing vouchers.

In a previous state, it was cheaper to homeschool only if you had multiple kids all under 8th grade. 

Lost salary dollars are one thing, but I will also say at my age I regret the lost social security credits. I listened to the propaganda about how expensive childcare is, how much you can save by making your own bread and thrifting clothes,  etc. without contemplating seriously that having fewer kids and getting them to age 5 and into school would have freed me up to return to work a lot sooner. Once you are out of the workforce a while it is so much harder to break back in. 
 

You can only “save” so much. At some point the hard reality of limited income + rising expenses (rising faster than income) comes to bite you.

I have known of a school district offering so much! I'm glad to hear that your tax dollars are well-spent.

The wage issue only applies if the homeschooling parent would be in the workforce. For me, I don't see that being the case. My husband and I feel that running a home is a full-time job, and I don't need a second one, paid or not. Trying to balance both would be how we got burned out. 

Also, childcare - affordable or not - isn't available for many people. For example, we don't have any sort of daycare or afterschool care in my entire county or any of the surrounding ones (and that border goes into three states). If I tried to work with school-aged children, I'm not even sure what I would do for afterschool, half-days, snow delays, breaks, etc. 

I see you're point, and Social Security should definitely be considered. BUT you have to live until retirement too.

[prairiewindmomma]

So no mothers work in your community? Every child in your district has a SAHP because there is no childcare available? That seems….statistically not likely. Childcare affordability is definitely an issue everywhere…but most families ARE two income families…so childcare must exist somewhere.

[HomeAgain]

In a lot of places, even though afterschool care isn't available at the school, it IS available. Here, the only afterschool care for kids in our district at the school is 7th-8th grade, who actually have a designated program to help with homework and organized social time.  It's free.

That doesn't mean there isn't afterschool care for younger kids.  It means it's not at the school.  Many of the kids are bussed to the community center for care, or the Boys & Girls Club, or the Y.  There is care, it's just not on the school grounds and unless you have a kid that needs it, you probably won't find it.  School schedules are also staggered so those who don't go to care have the option of high school students to provide immediate after school care for their younger siblings/neighbors.