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Area private school enrollments drop Date published: 11/14/2008
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Shellie Ridder is willing to go into debt to educate her four children. But this year, she took her 12-year-old daughter, Elyse, out of private school and enrolled her in Spotsylvania County's Ni River Middle. Money wasn't the only reason, but it did influence the family's decision, Ridder said. Still, she said she wouldn't have sent her child to public school if she thought it would hurt her education. "We've reached the point where we know what works for our children," Ridder said. "We know what we want. I've also become a little less willing to compromise on certain matters, and education is one of them." Several local families, however, put their children in public school only because they couldn't afford the rising cost of a private education, say officials from area private schools. It's a nationwide trend as the country faces the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. "There is tremendous anxiety, both about admissions numbers and because our budget is driven by tuition income," said Penny Work, headmaster at Grymes Memorial School in Orange County. This year, the independent school has 168 students, seven fewer than last year. About half of the students who left did so for financial reasons, Work said. Fredericksburg Christian Schools' enrollment dropped from 1,200 last year to 1,142, said Superintendent Rick Yost. The school won't increase tuition next year, he said. "When something like this hits, if they're really committed to a Christian education, we've got to help them all we can," he said. He said he's confident the school will grow again. Fredericksburg Academy's enrollment dropped 8 percent, or 44 students. Most left because of money, said Headmaster Robert Graves. The school also saw a decline in new applicants last year, he said. "People who haven't been used to spending money on education aren't going to take that leap necessarily as easy as they might have a year or so ago," he said. "I think that's going to continue for some time." Surprisingly, he said, applications for the next academic year are up. That could be because of the financial difficulties facing public schools. "People who can afford to do it are waiting to see what happens to the public schools and are perhaps looking our way again," Graves said.
Date published: 11/14/2008
First off, my post was not a judgement but a question. Seocndly, talk about judgement. You don't know me so you what gives you the right to say me turning out fine is subjective by a post? If you didn't like my question, you could have chosen to ignore it. Instead you made yourself look like a fool and try to start an argument.
why do you care? why do you judge? People that go to private school don't question why your kids go to public. Times have changed, and ....it's subjective whether you turned out fine.
Your taxes go to pay public schools whether your child is attending or not. Do you really think it makes a differnce if your child goes to a private school rather than a public school? We did not have private schools growing up and everyone went to the public school (yes, 3 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high school). I was accepted at the same colleges as those who went to private schools and I turned out just fine.
Do you hear that Mr. Hill.
No tuition increase in bad times. And all you can do is ask for more, more, more.
You should talk with Fredericksburg Christian. See how they tighten the belt.
The funny part is I bet they charge the students less than you charge the taxpayers. What are we up to now? 9k-10k per year per child per year. If I could
have that 9k I could send my child to a Christian School. Nor your politically not so correct school where you spend more on delinquents than on great students!
I've had three children enrolled in Spotsylvania County public schools and the education pales to Fredericksburg Academy. The tuition is extremely high, but I am willing to make sacrifices even through hard times to ensure my children's future.
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