Parents Facing Sticker Shock Over Private School Tuitions

The New YOrk Sun ^ | February 28, 2006 | DEBORAH KOLBEN

[Calpernia]

You sure can let that one fly. You did not ask WHY, just assumed.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1587459/posts?page=116#116

[Graymatter]

Back in the days...I put my daughter in an expensive private prep school in Jersey. It was full of snobs and other riffraff, and the teachers---let's not even get into that!
I took her out and started homeschooling. Cost me almost nothing, since we always had plenty of books and I've read my share. Never regretted it.
Over $30k for a second-rate private school? Now that's just sinful.

[WOSG]

"Somewhat. However, I am shocked to see that tuitions have doubled in 10 years."

You should be. It is Government mis-management that causes this IMO.

(As noted, the $30K-level school is nothing to do with education, and everything to do with prestige and status.)

We live in an information age. Everything related to learning could and should be getting cheaper.

The entire K-12 curriculum could fit on a set of DVD costing literally pennies; testing on computer can be automated; information on the internet and other sources abounds in free format; homeschoolers are showing that many parent provide excellent education.

... yet public school costs are $100,000 per pupil for the k-12.

... and yet, US kids are far behind the kids of other countries, where costs are much lower and student performance and learning is higher.

What is wrong with this picture?

[princess leah]

We were blessed to have our kids attend the private school where my husband teaches, so we got the teacher discount and wound up only paying about $1500 per year per child for the past 9 years. Someday, I hope the tuition voucher plan goes through for future parents wanting the best education for their kids. For us, we gladly paid taxes plus the extra for the joy of seeing our kids educated in a Christ-centered environment.

[steve86]

Wanted to send our grandkids to Catholic school but doesn't look doable financially. And its only 3-4k each/yr here.

[rmlew]

The elite private schools in NYC should not be compared directly with public schools.
Status is important but is only part of the picture. Almost half of my class went to Ivy League schools. Regardless of the school we eventually attended, we were far better prepared than most students. Of course the burnout rate was rather high.

[Jason_b]

I N F L A T I O N

[Solson]

There is more to it. The approx $500 per year raise means we've gone from $7900 3 years ago to $9200 this year. All the fees have also gone up.

At the same time, the "Catholicity" has fallen substantially and is our primary reason for pulling them and deciding not to send the rest.

Financially, we would have been totally strapped with a total tuition burden of $25k+ this year. Next year, our oldest goes to college so our tuition burden would increase to about $44,500 based upon the schools my son is looking at and will most likely attend.

The bottom line is the Catholic high school isn't acting so Catholic anymore and is quite different then when we put our first son into school there. Moreover, the academics are no better than the public high school in the area and the discipline issues, drugs, etc. have been no worse, believe it or not, in the public school.

....and no, that $1500 per year CANNOT be made up by cutting the ancillary "stuff." We've already cut it all and have sold a car to help pay for tuition.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"the wife and I are looking at something like $5000 a year when we send our kids to privates schools. "

I spent 7,000 this year to send my kid to a reading school for three hours a week.

[MikefromOhio]

wow.....

I don't know if I'll do that though :)

[EQAndyBuzz]

Hockey tuition this year for my 10 year old was 6,000 dollars. 4000 dollars to play, one thousand for the bus and one thousand for jerseys, jackets, bag and other things.

I hope my kid is smart enough to get a scholarship to a prep school.