The Hidden Sacrifices of Choosing Private School

I went to Catholic school from kindergarten through 12^th grade. My husband attended a Christian school from sixth grade through 12^th grade. We both had really positive experiences with our private educations so when it came time to figure out what our oldest would be doing for kindergarten, it felt natural to check out local private schools. We did and ended up finding one we absolutely loved.

We loved it so much that we didn’t want to wait for kindergarten. We started him there in pre-K and signed our daughter up for their preschool. I quickly became involved with the small community that a private school can provide and felt good knowing my kids were getting a solid Christian-based education with small class sizes. Since I’d had such a positive experience with my private education, I never really thought about the sacrifices that my parents made to make that happen.

But, there are obvious sacrifices families make when choosing a private education. Some are obvious and some are more hidden. And while there are huge benefits to enrolling in private school, it’s important to go into it with eyes wide open.

The biggest sacrifice is financial. At the time, it was important to us and we were confident every month as we paid tuition that this was the best decision for our kids. After a couple of years of not only tuition for two kids but the somewhat regular fundraisers and other needs that the school had, I couldn’t help but sometimes question our decision. But because I loved the school so much, I continued to want to be a part of it and its growth. We continued finding ways to make it work financially. But I can’t say it wasn’t an area of stress at certain times.

Another sacrifice parents make is convenience. Meaning, typically you don’t live within walking distance to the school and transportation is not provided. For us, this meant a lot more time in the car which is not something I personally enjoy.

I didn’t realize it years ago but there can also be a bit of a social sacrifice, particularly in smaller private schools. First, your children’s school friends don’t live down the street from you and it may make it more difficult to connect with other neighborhood kids. The “convenient community” aspect of living and schooling in the same area is gone for both kids and their parents. Also, super small class sizes can mean no school sports teams and a smaller network of kids to socialize with. However, the community a private school can provide to not only the students but to the parents is amazing and something that might be more challenging in a public school just given the size.

If you are weighing your decision for public versus private school, you will likely find there is no right answer. You have to decide what is best for your family at that point in your life. For us, this decision actually ended up shifting a few years into our private school journey and we ended up switching – read more about that transition here!