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Wow...GA is actually embracing school choice? Yet another reason for me to join the hordes fleeing the corrupt, liberal northeast and west coast for the south. Go Georgia!
Yes, it is. Besides being a human right, you cannot be denied an education in this country on any basis, whatsoever, except as a prisoner. This was made more clear in Brown vs Board of Education in 1954. It is an implied right, just like your right to privacy. Specifically, in Brown vs Board of Education: "(c) Where a State has undertaken to provide an opportunity for an education in its public schools, such an opportunity is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms."
Driving and education are not comparable at all. One requires a certain level of maturity and skill and the other provides that very thing.
No goods or services (like education) are rights. They all have to be produced with scarce resources and are subject to the laws of economics. Teachers must be paid for their work, just like everyone else. If the money isn't there, well...no education.
All of the Catholic parochial schools run from $5,500 up to $7,100 (it depends on which school). Most of the schools hover right around $6,000.
Here's a slightly old (Jan 2007) link with tuition fees for a variety of schools: Atlanta Parent Online. Note that Catholic high schools were quoting around $9,500 for tuition at that time.
I get cognitive dissonance reading posts on this site when it comes to private school fees. This thread has posts claiming virtually all families can afford private school ... although possibly at some "sacrifice". Posts on other threads flatly assume that private school is only for the very well-to-do e.g. "With three kids, so private schools are not an option" (this from a family that has a budget of around $600K for a house). I think my reality aligns with the latter.
By the way, I live near Queen Of Angels / Blessed Trinity, and I know there is a big waiting list for Q of A, at least. Roman Catholic friends, diligent church-goers and members of the parish, had to wait a couple of years to get their kid into Q of A after moving here from another state. If you're not Catholic, good luck! So it's not like their are places at relatively lower priced religious schools available to everyone.
Here's a slightly old (Jan 2007) link with tuition fees for a variety of schools: Atlanta Parent Online. Note that Catholic high schools were quoting around $9,500 for tuition at that time.
There are a lot of Christian schools in the $5K-$7K range so the Catholic schools are not your only choice. High schools are obviously more expensive but they only make up 4 of the 13 years of the tuition bill.
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I get cognitive dissonance reading posts on this site when it comes to private school fees. This thread has posts claiming virtually all families can afford private school ... although possibly at some "sacrifice". Posts on other threads flatly assume that private school is only for the very well-to-do e.g. "With three kids, so private schools are not an option" (this from a family that has a budget of around $600K for a house). I think my reality aligns with the latter.
And this gets back to the point of some of the other posters. It is all about choosing. Some people choose to live in a $600K house and send their three children to public school even though they would rather their children go to private school. Other people choose to live in a $300K house and send their three children to private school even thought they could comfortably afford the $600K house if they sent their children to public schools.
Private school is not for everyone just as public school is not for everyone. It comes down to what is the best fit for that family and, if the family decides that private school is better, where the family's priorities lie.
If someone wants to send their child to private school but says they cannot because they have three kids and at the same time they live in a $600K house, they are making the choice to have a nice house at the expense of doing what they think is best for their children. That is their right to choose.
The same reasoning applies to someone choosing to live in a $300K house instead of a $100K house. If someone can only afford a $100K house or cannot afford a house at all, my guess is they would not have problems qualifying for financial aid at most/all of these schools.
It all comes down to people's priorities and the choices they make. Vouchers help with the choice.
Wow...GA is actually embracing school choice? Yet another reason for me to join the hordes fleeing the corrupt, liberal northeast and west coast for the south. Go Georgia!
No, GA is embracing the further erosion of its school system, which works with the many other backward policies of the rightwing politics of this corrupt state and region.
There are a lot of Christian schools in the $5K-$7K range so the Catholic schools are not your only choice. High schools are obviously more expensive but they only make up 4 of the 13 years of the tuition bill.
And this gets back to the point of some of the other posters. It is all about choosing. Some people choose to live in a $600K house and send their three children to public school even though they would rather their children go to private school. Other people choose to live in a $300K house and send their three children to private school even thought they could comfortably afford the $600K house if they sent their children to public schools.
Private school is not for everyone just as public school is not for everyone. It comes down to what is the best fit for that family and, if the family decides that private school is better, where the family's priorities lie.
If someone wants to send their child to private school but says they cannot because they have three kids and at the same time they live in a $600K house, they are making the choice to have a nice house at the expense of doing what they think is best for their children. That is their right to choose.
The same reasoning applies to someone choosing to live in a $300K house instead of a $100K house. If someone can only afford a $100K house or cannot afford a house at all, my guess is they would not have problems qualifying for financial aid at most/all of these schools.
It all comes down to people's priorities and the choices they make. Vouchers help with the choice.
AtlDad, I could not have said it better myself. I totally agree wtih you on all points!
Does anyone have experience with financial aid and at what income caps the aid tends to phase out? I think there is a huge chunk of the middle class population who can realistically afford a 200-300k house (and by realistic, I mean no more than 2.5 times their annual salary.) So, that would be a salary of $80-120k per year. Which is not a bad living by any means but not rich in the least. I'm inclined to think that this chunk of the population would NOT have financial aid available to them and at the same time a 12k per year per child private school tuition would be out of their reach.
Thanks, unsettledITP, that's a clear way of putting it. (And if some would argue that 12k per year per child is high - OK then, 6K per year each for 2 or more children at a religiously based school).
I'm right in the financial bracket you describe, by the way. And while I don't aspire to send my child to private school (I'm very happy with my local public schools), I am frustrated by the claims of private school enthusiasts on this thread, that essentially EVERY family can afford private school, by some combination of personal sacrifice and financial aid. I am doubtful that my family would qualify for financial aid, yet I can't see how we could find a cheaper house or engage in other savings to free up $1K per month for private school tuition. And that's assuming the extra cost of private school over public school is solely the tuition fees.
Thanks, unsettledITP, that's a clear way of putting it. (And if some would argue that 12k per year per child is high - OK then, 6K per year each for 2 or more children at a religiously based school).
I'm right in the financial bracket you describe, by the way. And while I don't aspire to send my child to private school (I'm very happy with my local public schools), I am frustrated by the claims of private school enthusiasts on this thread, that essentially EVERY family can afford private school, by some combination of personal sacrifice and financial aid. I am doubtful that my family would qualify for financial aid, yet I can't see how we could find a cheaper house or engage in other savings to free up $1K per month for private school tuition. And that's assuming the extra cost of private school over public school is solely the tuition fees.
Not EVERY family can afford private school but MOST can (hence, the need for vouchers so that every family who wants - granted not every family wants private school - can afford private education). We have some very close friends of ours who are putting their 4 children through Catholic schools (at $22K per year total), and they bring in about $70K per year. They did not apply for financial aid so I have no idea if they would qualify or not. Are they sacrificing a whole heck of a lot to do it? You bet... a small house in the suburbs, and quite honestly they allow themselves themselves very little in "splurge spending"... very rarely eating out, cutting coupons, etc. However, they make it work because they view their children's education as one of their most important roles as parents. As I have said before, this type of sacrifice, which is exactly what it is, is not for everyone. Also, some people would never choose private school, regardless of whether or not it is affordable. That is the beauty of choice - each family can do what they view is in their best interest. And honestly I do not think that there is a "right" answer.... no one school or type of school is the best for every child/family.
UnsettledITP, I have no idea what income caps are on financial aid. It probably depends on the school (I know how many other kids you have in private school, college, etc. play a part in it - the schools do not look solely at income). Unfortunately, I think that there is a large chunk of the population where private school puts such a large financial drain on the family that they opt for another choice (whether it is a different private school or public school). I think that is why vouchers are so important, especially for the lower and middle class. The wealthy can already freely afford private school, and it would be wonderful if vouchers could give every family that same degree of choice.
In the private schools my children attended in the Atlanta area with tuitions in the 7-8K range, there were very few people who were not at least upper middle class. We lived in a house that we bought for $178K and bought inexpensive cars etc. to afford private school, and we were the exception not the rule. My oldest child became so accustomed to visiting very large homes, she started questioning why we and other people like us lived in such small homes (our house was about 2400 square feet of living space plus we had an unfinished basement). After our third child arrived, we became seriously concerned about affording private school. In Atlanta, private school is quite difficult for middle class families with more than one child. When my husband was offered a job in another state, we jumped on it, partially because of the tuition issue. Where we live now we can have all three kids in private school for the cost of one in Atlanta (with sibling discounts). I'm a fan of school choice because I don't subscribe to the one size fits all mentality of education. There are private schools I would never use as there are public schools that I would never want my children to attend. I think we should be able to chose where at least part of our tax money goes for our own children. I don't mind partially supporting the public school system for the community if the public schools are good, but I don't think schools can be the best they can be without competition and accountability. In Atlanta, this is a problem area because there is not as much diversity of choice in Atlanta as elsewhere. Most of the private schools in Atlanta are expensive. Where we live now there is a greater variety of private and public schools with a strong magnet school system. Where we are now also is higher ranked than Georgia in state education listings. Atlanta has some good private schools, but without vouchers they are out of reach for a lot of families.
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