We Switched from Private School to Public. Here’s What I Learned.

When we moved houses last spring shifting us to a larger mortgage but in a fabulous school district, I knew I had to start weighing the idea of sending my kids to public school. Even the thought of changing schools was difficult. For four years, I had poured my heart into the private school we selected for our two kids. We loved the education, the community and the comfort my kids felt at the school. But I had also heard amazing things about the public school within walking distance. With my kids entering first and third grade in the following school year, I knew waiting any longer might not be the best idea for the older one. I didn’t want him to have to make that transition in middle school when making friends could be more challenging.

I was worried about things like larger classroom sizes and an education that would not prepare and challenge them like the private school curriculum did. I was worried about my kids not being in an environment where their faith was encouraged to grow each day by teachers who put Jesus at the core of everything.

I also thought about the sacrifices we made sending our kids to private school. While I didn’t want finances to completely rule the decision, it obviously was a huge factor. I envisioned how nice it would be for my kids to go to the same school as the neighbor kids which, in turn, would mean less strain on me having to always drive them to playdates. I fast forwarded years from now and thought about this world being so big and wanting my kids to be able to really thrive in it. Was I really doing my kids a service by putting them in somewhat of a bubble where they didn’t have to step too far out of their comfort zone and didn’t have a huge diversity of peers to interact with?

While the pros and cons list for each option was pretty even, we ultimately decided to make the switch. This past fall, my kids started first and third grade in public school.

I think the switch was harder on me than them.

I overthought the entire thing until I practically made myself sick. At meet the teacher night, we ran into several families from church that we never realized went to that school. This helped ease my worry that my kids would lose their faith. However, I do miss that my kids no longer have mid-week chapel. I loved that their private school made that a priority. There does feel some additional pressure to ensure we don’t miss church on Sundays whereas before I honestly wouldn’t worry about it if we wanted to be lazy on a Sunday morning.

I had a great vibe from the school after meeting the teachers and some teachers but, of course, was still worried.

I could barely focus at work on the first day of school. When I picked them up and they each told me they had good days and made a friend or two, I wanted to cartwheel home. Sure, they each had a day here and there where they would say they missed their old school. But it was always very short lived. Living so close to school friends and being on the same sports teams has enabled my kids to already develop some really strong relationships and to feel comfortable in their new environment.

I have also been pleasantly surprised at the education and the attention the teachers are still able to give my kids despite larger class sizes. At the first parent teacher conferences, it was apparent the teachers were passionate about what they do and clearly took an interest in the education of my kids. I also found that public schools have many more specialist teachers so your child’s learning needs can actually be catered to due to the additional resources available.

Lower budgets in our private school meant things like less technology in the classrooms. I have been amazed at what public school classes are equipped with. It very much feels like they are being prepared for the real world.

I do really miss the uniforms just because they were easy and so darn cute. However, I know my kids love getting “free dress” every single day.

I am less connected with the public school than I was the private school. But I think this is due to the fact that I got a bit burned out after four years of constantly feeling like I had to balance in volunteering, organizing teacher appreciation events and the other expectations that can come with private school. There are lot of opportunities to plug into, like PTA, for those moms who want that. For now, it is a good break for me to feel less connected to the school community.

If you are debating over public versus private school, the decision is going to be purely based on what works for your family. For us, the switch turned out to be extremely positive. I know there will be bad days ahead but I also know that would be the case regardless of what school they are at. For now, I feel confident in the choice we made.