With the first day of school right around the corner, some parents are asking the question—is private school right for our family?

According to the August 2002, “Private Schools: A Brief Portrait” report by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 10 percent of all U.S. students (5.3 million children) are enrolled in private schools.

Where there is no “perfect school,” finding the school that is right for your family takes a lot of research. “Deciding where to send your children to school is one of the most important decisions parents will ever make. You don’t want to make a decision that is unfair to your child. Things may or may not work out,” said Bob Newton, retired Brookstone School headmaster.

For Laurie Aiken, the decision to send her 6-year old daughter to Wynnbrook Christian School was easy. “We felt a Christian education was very important,” she said. “We wanted our daughter to have a faith-based foundation where she would be equipped to face the world.”

The decision was more difficult for Julie Harris. She and her husband, Doug, liked Blackmon Road Middle School, but they worried the classes were too big, making it difficult for their son and daughter to form lasting friendships. After their son’s sixth grade year, they transferred their youngsters to St. Anne School.

Having grown up attending a private school, Jim Lynn wanted a similar environment for his three kids. He and his wife, Carol, chose Glenwood School in Phenix City. “With three children, spending nearly $40,000 every year on private education wasn’t a realistic option, even if the high end did give us the atmosphere we wanted. We found Glenwood to be a great balance,” he said.

As members of St. Luke United Methodist Church, Jan Drew and her husband, Tim, knew early on they wanted their children to attend a Christian school. “St. Luke School was our first and only
choice,” she recalled. “I remember the day my husband and I toured St. Luke seven years ago. It felt as warm and comfortable as being at home-—a place where children would thrive.”

The Benefits
According to the NCES report, private schools have many academic advantages that public schools cannot match, including the following:
• Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests...

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