LOCKED OT: Public or Private School?

[jb1020]

I know this has been talked about before and if I just need to research old threads I can. Would someone enlighten me on why Private is better than Public? I can flat out not justify the cost of going private.

I've been a Rankin Co. kid practically my entire life. My wife and I both went to public schools here, both graduated 2000'ish. I had never really thought twice about not sending my kids to the public schools here. All of the sudden my wife just seems terrified to go the public route. Is it that bad now? Is it bad at all? My only concern about the public school is that its just massive now.

But for the life of me I cannot commit to spending that damn much money on kids education that may or may not help them in the long run.

$109,328 per kid to go to Hartfield K4-12th.

 

[57stratdawg]

How racist are you..?

 

[coach66]

If you have great public schools then it is a tough choice if you don't it

is an easy choice to go private. I went the public route with Germantown/Madison Public schools and my kids have done great and my one at State is President's list in BioMed Engineering her first year so there you go. The key is to keep your kids in accelerated courses in the public schools. The downside to the public schools and it isn't much of one is you don't expose your kids to the wealthy kids and the opportunities that come with that exposure. To me that is a big plus with private schools along with the fact that playing ball is much easier in private schools.

 

[randystewart]

This is how this thread will go. Someone will tell you they send their kids to private school and then all hell wil break loose with public school people going militant and accusing private school people of damaging the community and/or being racist.
Do what you feel is best for your kids.

 

[mstateglfr]

Totally different state for me, so I cant speak on the quality of education where you are, but I was in the same boat when it came to our kids.
I had no desire to send em to a religious private school. The two private schools in my area that aren't religious based are both incredible schools, but are $7K per year per kid.

We ended up going the public school route, only chose to open enroll them in a Montessori public school(the only one in Iowa) because it offered what we wanted- a small school feel and continuity for as long as possible. Its PreK - 8th grade right now.

My wife and I are both from the Chicago burbs, were in school around when you were, and we each graduated with 450-600 people. And our schools were on the smaller side of average.


The benefit of private is it can give your kids the chance to participate in more activities. plays, clubs, sports, etc. To me, there is some real benefit in that. Smaller public schools will do the same thing though.
As for quality of education- besides a couple of privates around me, I would not say the private schools are better. I know a lot of kids that are real idiots who are in multiple private schools around me. Schools will always be filled with idiots.

 

[seshomoru]

It's the infrastructure in the Northwest Zone that needs updating.

I'm assuming that's the zone you are in since you mentioned Hartfield. Still a really good district, but it needed repair and new buildings years ago. That has to happen and probably will in the future.

 

[Rog.sixpack]

Don't fret. I know a lot of people's kids who couldn't get into Prep**

 

[coach66]

I know you are joking but had a relative that insisted her boys go to Prep.

They graduated and headed off to Ole Miss predictably (parents were MSU) graduated with some liberal arts degree in five years and both work in restaurants now.

 

[GTAdawg]

I've seen kids with all the resources in the world from both a public and private background underachieve at life after high school. I've seen kids with little or no resources from both a public and private background overachieve at life after high school.

It all comes down to what my grandmother used to say..."that kid needs home training".

 

[patdog]

It all depends on how good the public schools are where you live. If you've got access to good public schools, there's no real reason to send them to a private school unless you just want them to go to one. In Rankin County, I wouldn't hesitate to send a kid to public school. Sesh is right thought that the infrastructure needs a lot of improvement and the schools are badly overcrowded. That needs to change, but in Rankin County there seem to be a lot of rifts between the different zones within the district (Northwest, Brandon, the southern zones and the rural zones) as well as between all of them and the school board.

 

[kramer_192]

^^^ This

Has a lot more to do with how YOU raise YOUR child

 

[seshomoru]

What specifically terrifies her about it?

There are people on this board with family that teaches and kids that go there (Northwest Zone), so maybe they can answer some questions.

 

[1msucub]

The answer TOTALLY depends on where you live. I grew up in Tate County, graduated from a Public school, went straight to State in the fall of 1991, and graduated seven years later with a doctorate that makes me a pretty good living. I still WORK in Tate County and love it, but I LIVE in Desoto County, and my three kids (including one with special needs) are thus far getting a fantastic education in Hernando from teachers who care as much as any I've ever met. I wouldn't even consider sending my kids to SBEC living where I do, but it is a great school as well. In Tate, you will hands down get a better education at Magnolia Heights, but keep in mind I believe strongly in corporal punishment, dress codes, etc..., and the discipline at MHS is pretty rigid. Mismanagement at Tate schools in the recent past have put a huge dent in them. To each his own, but I am more than pleased with where I am.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

^^^That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

 

[jb1020]

Honeslty, the common core thing was her big hang up

she, like all mothers, believes our kid is smarter than most and she's afraid he'll get bored with what they have to offer at public school.

I have no idea. Like I said, I went to public and I've never thought twice about it. now my wife is all about Hartfield....she has also been a pinelaker for life, so that definitely plays into it.

I just can't sit here and fathom passing all of these free public schools to spend nearly $250k putting 2 kids in private school because the teachers might be a little better and the classes a little smaller.

We're very hands on with our kids and far from the kinds of people that expect the school system to teach our kids everything they need to know.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

110k? Gtfooh. What you SHOULD do is send them to public school for free. Take that 110k you were going to spend and put it in a mutual fund. When they turn 18, take the next 100k you were going to spend on 5 years of
College and dump it in the same mutual fund.

Turn to your kid and say "you never have to save a dime or worry about retirement but you cant touch it until youre 60....now go find what you really want to do in life"

Kid could go to college until 30 and be a brain surgeon and never catch up to that compound interest.

I cant even fathom how worthless a degree will be in another 18 years.

 

[Indndawg]

Cost vs Feeling of Security

If you were in Okolona (failing district) or Abdereen (past failer and rotten) yeah pony up and send 'em to private.

Elsewhere (Amory, Monroe County, Madison, Itawamba, Jackson county) pocket the $ and send 'em to public.

Sounds like your gonna have to be the alpha parent and show leadership on this one.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

I went to both, public until 7th grade, and I went to a supposedly rigorous private school. I found private school easy, and not real challenging. Despite the reputation, there were also plenty of dumbasses, just dumbasses with money. If it's solely for the education, I think private school can be overrated of you can go to a decent public school. Let's be honest, it's certainly not needed to get into state or OM. As someone else mentioned though, it's far easier to play sports, etc which can be a positive and if a child has academic issues they will get more attention in private. I do think I'm far more well rounded and open minded for having gone to public school, it's just a whole different segment of society, and I feel I'm well served having those friends. It is also true a lot of private school kids are dicks, and act like they're better than everyone else and look down on those who didn't go private. I also had a lot more friends having done both, most of the K-12 lifers had their social circles almost exclusive to the private school. My $0.02

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

​you need about 20x that $200k for them to never need to work

 

[seshomoru]

she, like all mothers, believes our kid is smarter than most and she's afraid he'll get bored with what they have to offer at public school. I have no idea. Like I said, I went to public and I've never thought twice about it. now my wife is all about Hartfield....she has also been a pinelaker for life, so that definitely plays into it. I just can't sit here and fathom passing all of these free public schools to spend nearly $250k putting 2 kids in private school because the teachers might be a little better and the classes a little smaller. We're very hands on with our kids and far from the kinds of people that expect the school system to teach our kids everything they need to know.

The common core fears are generally ridiculous, and it has become highly politicized. I think 615 can answer a lot of questions about that. The general idea that teachers might be better in a private school is a fallacy at best. You will find fantastic and terrible teachers at any school no matter the size or where the money come from. That you mentioned Pinelake is interesting. I've noticed some seriously click-ish type stuff going on that reminds me of the old 1st Presbyterian to Prep social circle back in my high school days.

 

[coach66]

Don't know if this helps but I've been trying to get my son to consider private

school for sports reasons since I think he is going to struggle at Germantown because of the numbers. He is a sixth grader and told me no way, he loves his school and his friends and that is more important than sports. He said he will give it his best to make the teams and if he doesn't make them then he doesn't make them.

I did just the opposite as a child, I jumped all over the opportunity to go to private school because I could play all three sports, that's where my head was at the time. As parents we have always tried to ingrain with our kids that sports are temporary and grades/academics are for a lifetime, I think he is bought in, maybe.

Sports may not be a big motivator for you and your wife but I know it is with a lot of parents struggling with this same decision but at the end of the day it probably shouldn't be.

 

[seshomoru]

Your point on sports reminded me of something else...

by the time you have paid year round for your little one to play on the "select" teams (including travel, food, equipment) every weekend of the year, plus paid for them to go to private school... you have pissed away what could have been saved to send through college debt free. Assuming you are in a district like Rankin or Madison, where private school would be a decision, not a necessity.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

There's nothing select about select teams**

Harry Hogg

 

[johnson86-1]

​you need about 20x that $200k for them to never need to work

Pretty sure he meant all they had to do was subsist because their retirement would be taken care of.

 

[coach66]

You are correct, we paid a fortune on soccer with my daughter for six years and

I never saw her happier than we she decided to give up select and get a life. She still went on to make All State in soccer in high school and had soccer offers but wanted to go to MSU. The silver lining was her academics which pay about 70% of her costs at MSU. I don't think a soccer scholarship would have approached 70% but I may be wrong. At the end of the day sports are great for many, many reasons but academic scholarships can be pretty nice.

 

[johnson86-1]

I would add that if you're not sure you will be able to pay for them to get through college without debt, for sure don't pay for private school if there is an adequate public education available. I'm pretty sure when the kid is 23, he'll be much happier having gone to public school but not having to make a student loan payment.

If you will be able to pay for college regardless, there are benefits to private and public school. If your kid is the type that will do better in a smaller group and being involved in sports and other activities, private school can still be a good investment. But it doesn't seem like that stuff is important until around middle school or junior high. So you can get the lion's share of the benefits while only paying for 5 or 6 years per kid.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I went to a very good private school here but my kids will probably go to public school just because they're good schools (plus is it's some serious jack) There's no reason for me to send them there based on the environment or quality of schools. I've still got time but the situation could change if the school system were to suffer but I don't see that happening. Every situation is different and I don't fault people for choosing one over the other. I do know people that put their kids in private school because of the classroom size. Their child got a little bit better attention in the private school with a smaller classroom size.

 

[thatsbaseball]

The "select" part pertains to selecting kids whose parents have money**

 

[WayboDawg]

I too have discussed this same topic with my wife in regards to where to send our future children. We live in Wayne County where you have 3 choices for your child's education:

-Wayne County High School: Where I graduated from, and know all too well how the climate is there (its probably worse now). Sure I made it out, graduated from MSU, and now hold a decent job, but I seriously doubt I want my kid enduring what I had to endure in regards to the conditions there. The teachers basically babysit young adults all day and spend 25% of there time teaching and the other 75% being disciplinarians. Sure you can get an education like I did, and move on to better things, but it's an uphill fight at best, and the atmosphere is not conducive for learning to say the least. And its already hard enough for a kid to focus and get a quality education without dealing with drug dealers, rednecks, and gang bangers. But hey, its free...

-Wayne Academy:
If you have kids at Wayne Academy, its probably for 1 of 5 reasons:
1. You don't want to send your kids to school with black kids.
2. You want your kid to play sports and not sit on the bench every game
3. You have lots of disposable money and like having control over everything that happens at your kid's school
4. Your kid got in trouble at the public school and this is a last resort for him to graduate.
5. You hope your child will get a better education and be safer at the county's only private school.

So my biggest qualm is that the parents like myself who value reason #5 for attending Wayne Academy have to butt heads with all the parents/kids who value reasons 1 through 4 for attending Wayne Academy.

-Home School: Not something me or my wife really want to do. We both want to work at least part-time, and effective homeschooling requires at least 1 spouse to be a stay-at-home parent.


So I know how you feel when struggling over this decision....

 

[Shamoan]

The common core fears are generally ridiculous, and it has become highly politicized. I think 615 can answer a lot of questions about that. The general idea that teachers might be better in a private school is a fallacy at best. You will find fantastic and terrible teachers at any school no matter the size or where the money come from. That you mentioned Pinelake is interesting. I've noticed some seriously click-ish type stuff going on that reminds me of the old 1st Presbyterian to Prep social circle back in my high school days.

mind explaining this a little further? full disclosure, i still attend first pres and went to prep as did 3 of my siblings. 3 of the 4 of us are state grads and proud of it. you sound bitter.

 

[randystewart]

What you said about Wayne County High school is basically the same situation where we live. Lots of discipline problems, but you can't have a rationale discussion with a public school parent about it when they ask why your kids go to private school. My kids are just starting school, but these are all things that have been said to us when people try to shame us for doing what we feel is best for our kids. "As long as your kids stay in AP courses, they'll get a good education." OK, when concerning the education provided at a school, you shouldn't have to qualify the statement. Plus, if you only approve if your kids can stay in AP courses, how are you any different than those of us who choose to put our kids in a school where all courses are AP? "My kids do just fine, they just know there are certain halls you don't go down." I've heard this one at least three times this year.... How in the hell any parent can think that is "just fine" for a school environment is beyond me. I also like that most private schools have drug testing starting in high school coupled with strict rules on dress codes, piercings, etc...

 

[esplanade91]

I was just at MSU. I went to a public school but was fortunate enough to be from a great town with a great public school system. I understand why people would send their kids to Pillow or wherever, but when I was at State (mind you most of my fraternity brothers were private school kids) I felt like the guys who hadn't gone to public school were completely out of touch with reality. I don't mean that they were racists or whatever, but they had no concept of other people having a disadvantage. Mostly. A few guys grew up with parents who had been poor or worked with different people from different people and made sure their kids knew they were fortune. That's ultimately what it comes down to.

It's definitely a case-by-case situation, but socially I don't think it's close when it comes to which route to go. Again... The coast isn't the Delta. It's not Jackson either. I don't know about all that.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

Pretty sure he meant all they had to do was subsist because their retirement would be taken care of.

Correct. Work and pay your bills. That is it. Go be a musician or a chef or an off shore guy. Whatever you want.

 

[WayboDawg]

What you said about Wayne County High school is basically the same situation where we live. Lots of discipline problems, but you can't have a rationale discussion with a public school parent about it when they ask why your kids go to private school. My kids are just starting school, but these are all things that have been said to us when people try to shame us for doing what we feel is best for our kids. "As long as your kids stay in AP courses, they'll get a good education." OK, when concerning the education provided at a school, you shouldn't have to qualify the statement. Plus, if you only approve if your kids can stay in AP courses, how are you any different than those of us who choose to put our kids in a school where all courses are AP? "My kids do just fine, they just know there are certain halls you don't go down." I've heard this one at least three times this year.... How in the hell any parent can think that is "just fine" for a school environment is beyond me. I also like that most private schools have drug testing starting in high school coupled with strict rules on dress codes, piercings, etc...

As far as being shamed by public school parents, that wouldn't factor into the decision one bit. I'd tell those people to mind their own darn business, and let me worry about my own children.

For me, the biggest negatives against Wayne Academy are:
1. Cost: If I cant afford the extra $350 per month on tuition they will just have to go to Wayne County
2. Education: Actually Wayne County does offer more class selection/sports/clubs than Wayne Academy. And to be frank, the kids who come out of Wayne Academy don't really stand out as smarter or better educated than the public school kids. A few do, but most of the males go to work offshore and the most of the females become nurses/teachers/stay-at-home-moms just like a good number of the public school graduates do. **Note: What I don't see, however, is nearly the same percentage of students who turn out to be hardcore menaces to society among Wayne Academy's alumni as I do Wayne County High School students.
3.Corruption: Wayne Academy has about 5 family names that run that place, and you can believe there isn't an equal set of standards for everyones child.
4.Transportation: Either me or my wife is going to have to do drop offs/pick ups every day versus using the school bus that the public school provides

Beyond that, it is a Christian school that offers smaller class sizes, a better average of well behaved kids, and most importantly, a safer environment that is more conducive to learning.

 

[Joe Schmedlap]

One can never go wrong in spending money for private school tuition "if" the private school is a better school. Whether that is the case or not depends on your location. As for my kids - all three are attending a small private school. They are getting a better education in a safer environment than that available in the local 4A public school.

 

[ronpolk]

mind explaining this a little further? full disclosure, i still attend first pres and went to prep as did 3 of my siblings. 3 of the 4 of us are state grads and proud of it. you sound bitter.

I didn't think he sounded bitter. I think he was pointing out that a lot of people that go to 1st pres also go to prep. I think your situation sorta confirms what he said. I can also back up what he said about Hartfield. That school is growing like crazy right now. If I were in charge at Prep, Hartfield would worry me.

I live in Madison (moved from Belhaven) and the primary reason is school. I loved Jackson but just couldn't justify paying for Prep or JA. My daughter will start school in a couple years and unless something drastically changes, she will graduate from Madison Central.

 

[seshomoru]

Not bitter at all about it... many of my best friends went that route

mind explaining this a little further? full disclosure, i still attend first pres and went to prep as did 3 of my siblings. 3 of the 4 of us are state grads and proud of it. you sound bitter.

i was the the Methodist that went to Jackson Academy for elementary... jumped to Prep... then made it to Starkville. But 85% of Jackson Prep students, at least when I was there, went to First Presbyterian Church and also the elementary school. It's just what people did. It had that keeping up with the Joneses feel. Be noticed at 1st Prez, be noticed at the school most everyone at 1st Prez goes to. What I see in Rankin now... is pretty similar... it's about Pinelake popularity. Be in that social circle that is visible at Pinelake and visible at the private school closely associated to them. And I should say that it really was more of a northeast Jackson type attitude, not a specific religion. That "right church" "right school" "got money" attitude.

 

[rabiddawg]

There's no rift between NWR and anybody else in the RCSD. We are just pissed off that we generate a massive majority of the tax revenue in the NWR zone to support the entire RCSD and the RCSD thanks us for that by giving it to Brandon. Meanwhile our kids at NWR have to deal with subpar infrastructure. They get an awesome education thanks to the teachers and leAdership within our zone, but we suffer from overcrowding, mobile classrooms, ridiculously outdated athletic facilities and lack of voter support outside Flowood to make it better. I have been begging for NWR and all its feeder schools to pull out of RCSD since my son was in 2nd grade because it is very obvious that Brandon will get taken care of before anybody else.

 

[myusernamesucks]

My kid starts Catholic school in August. Compared to what we have been paying in day care for the better part of the last 4 years, I can't WAIT until August. Daycare cost is absolutely insane.

 

[seshomoru]

This is true.. but I can't wait to not pay all that money

not just some of it