My DD is 4 and is in 3K at our local Lutheran school. We just joined the church this December from a Catholic church and are really enjoying it. I would consider our family to be middle of the road religious--meaning we try to go to church every other week, enroll our DD in Sunday school every other week, and then help out with maybe one or two committees a year.
I have heard through the grapevine that our Lutheran school is only beginning to increase tuition each and every year. Our town's school district is one of the best in the state, and it's FREE since it's public. The only problem with the district is that although the schools are all new, it's starting to get overcrowded so there's a referrendum this Spring to build a new one.
I have heard that the Lutheran school is getting crowded too, so there really is no difference in class size between the public vs. private.
I am torn; I would love to send DD to a FREE public school as I went to public and it turned out great, but I also feel that I may be missing something if I take her out of the Lutheran school. I guess that when we do attend church and we see the other children at the service attending school there, I may feel that I am envious that they get their education there. (That sounds really weird typing it out..)
I guess I want the best opportunity for my child. The public district exceeds expectations and I honestly do not have data on how the private Lutheran school does since it does not need to publish stuff like that besides SAT/ACT scores.
All I know is that if DD does go to a public school, we will be more comfortable financially and can really continue to contribute to her college savings and get ahead on retirement.
Re: Eugh, so confused about school choices and what to do.
GSx1 - 05/13/2013
GSx2 for T&B - EDD 6/21/2015 - They're having a GIRL!
You know Jen, that is a very good question. I don't know what the Lutheran school will give her that she wouldn't get at the public school.
Ditto this, you cannot tell me one thing in favor of the Luteran school besides that kids from church go there. And you cannot say anything negative about the public school. I say go to public and if you are unhappy then seriously research the Lutheran school since you cannot even say she will get a great education there that you think you can at the public.
I think you worry your kid will be the odd one out at church but you will feel that way when you see kids in the neighborhood play too.
My husband and I talked at length last night about this and we have decided to send her to public school. It will be the best option overall because she will be with children in the neighborhood, the cost is FREE so we can really continue to contribute to her 529 without trying to scrape by, and that she will still get a great education. Thanks to all for listening. I did forget to say our Pastor came over two weeks ago just to talk to us and have a nice meeting and he was really giving us the 5th degree about how important the Lutheran school is. I guess we feel guilty deciding to go Public now especially since we registered DD for next year already but it only is a $50 mistake..
Thank you again.
I work at a private religious K-12 school (happens to be a Jewish school) but my kids go to public school. The public schools in my area are quite good, and I'm generally happy with my kids' education, especially considering it's free. But I love working in a private school, and I think the kids in my school get a better education, especially at the high school level, than kids who attend public schools. However, the tuition at my school is over $25K/year for high school.
I recommend you visit each school and observe the K and 1st grade classrooms. See what's really going on in the schools before you decide.
I think it's going to depend on what you're looking for in your child's school. A private school will have a tighter community even if the class size is similar. A public school has a curriculum that is vetted by curriculum experts at the state and national level. A private school makes up its own curriculum, which can be a good thing or a terrible thing, depending on the school. Get the feel for both schools and make your choice!
If your pastor gives you the fifth degree then flat you tell him your decision and if he keeps it up look for another church that meets your needs. Where I live I do not know I any Lutheran schools so all those pastors would not be pestering you, I think the fifth degree is more about money than religion.
I wish I was in your situation! Miami public schools are just free daycare. I would never even consider sending my children to one.
As a result, I have been on tons of review sites where parents and teachers post reviews about private schools. If you just google private school reviews you will come up with a bunch. While the Lutheran school you have been eying may not publish some of its stats, these sites will provide you with a wealth of information from parents and teachers about the class size, curriculum, focus, education style, etc. You can probably contact the parents through the review site for more in-depth info. You can also request curriculum information from the school, itself. Using this to compare to the public school curriculum will give you an idea of the quality difference, if any, in the educations your child would receive at either school.
There is a list somewhere online (can't remember the site) that lists 100 detailed questions to ask when touring a school. It is pretty in-depth and I would recommend finding/using it in your case.