Cheap, but good, private schools in the city? (St. Louis, St. Peters: middle-class, 2010)

[nhlbluesgirl]

I've been in St. Louis all my life (grew up in Oakville). Now my husband and I are getting rid of our condo (in St. Peters)and looking for a house. We are on a tight budget, so we keep looking at the city. The problem is, as you probably know, the schools are horrible. I know someone that actually works for the district and he said that he wouldn't even send his dog to the schools (especially the elementary). I would actually love to live in the south city area, but I'm afraid of the expense of public schools. Is there any good, but cheap private elementary school in south city? Any idea on what tuition would be? My daughter will be starting kindergarten in the 2010 school year, so we have some time, but would like to have an idea before we move. I'm clueless about private schools, so I don't know anything. Besides uniforms, are there any other expenses with private school vs public school?

Thanks!

[TGS]

That really depends on what you think is "cheap." Most of the parochial schools in the city run between $3,000 and $6,000 per year for elementary school, and many have steep discounts for multiple children. There are Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, and non-denominational Christian schools, and plenty of scholarships are available. If you want a non-religious private school, then they are significantly more expensive and will likely be unaffordable without a scholarship.

Additional expenses that pop up in the private schools are pretty standard for all schools: lunch, before and after-care, and sports fees if your kids play on an after-school team. Some schools will require you to help with fundraising. Generally these expenses don't break the bank. For uniforms, ask the principal if they have any hand-me-downs from the previous year. Most schools will give you a "starter set" of used uniforms for free, if you ask.

Overall, most people choose the Catholic schools. Most are well-run and provide a better education then then best public schools in the County. There are a few unimpressive schools, so be sure to check out the school carefully.

As for the public schools, there are a few regular public elementary schools in the city that are generally considered acceptable to middle class families, such as Buder, Mason, Woerner, and Woodward. Most of the magnet schools have a good reputation. If your child is any race but African-American and is living in the city when the magnet school lottery is held for Kindergarten, they stand an excellent chance of making it into any magnet school but Kennard, which usually has a long waiting list. There are racial quotas, and there are fewer spots for African-Americans than available seats, so if your child is African-American it is much harder to get a place in the magnet schools. In that case, it is good idea to apply for the desegregation program to bus them out to a County school district.

There are also charter schools. St. Louis Charter School on Fyler has an excellent reputation and attracts a lot of middle-class families that can't afford private school. There are new charter schools opening soon that look promising, like the City Garden Montessori school in Shaw. Another organization is planning to open language immersion charter schools next year.

Good luck!

[stepka]

Is homeschooling an option?

[nhlbluesgirl]

Originally Posted by stepka

Is homeschooling an option?

Unfortunately not

[anr_black]

I live in south city and my son attends a parochial school. Generally, the non-member tuition for lutheran or catholic schools is around $4,000, while member rates run about half that (if you decide to join the church). I've also heard good things about the magnet school system, so that might be worth looking into. Right now, Hope Lutheran School has a few scholarships available for new students, if you qualify for free and reduced lunch. The school is located in the Southampton neighborhood.

[birthsister]

Look at the charter schools. Paideia Academy in Carondalet has been a god-send to us. They're on Michigan, right next to the new Ivory Theater (both are the former St. Boniface Catholic school and church).

This is a great time to buy a house in the Carondalet neighborhood, too - it's starting a nice come-back, with a lot of rehabbing and new development happening.

[DeBaliviere]

Don't rule out magnet or charter schools.

[wolenuthsiast]

My children attend Word of Life Lutheran school and we LOVE it, the teachers are caring and dedicated. We moved from the county into the city so I have experienced county schools vs. the education my children are receiving at Word Of Life. The "gifted education" program in the county schools is very similar to the regular education my children receive at this school. I highly recommend this school!

[bissit]

I posted a similar thread about wanting to live in the city but not sending my girls to SLPS schools. My question is related to the original poster here: Can someone receive the discount automatically just by joining the parish and what does "joining" mean. Do they take attendance on Sundays ?

[anr_black]

Originally Posted by bissit

I posted a similar thread about wanting to live in the city but not sending my girls to SLPS schools. My question is related to the original poster here: Can someone receive the discount automatically just by joining the parish and what does "joining" mean. Do they take attendance on Sundays ?

At my son's Lutheran school, to become a member of the church (and get the "discount" on tuition), you have to attend a weekly membership class for 8 weeks, I believe. You receive the tuition discount for the semester after you join the church. And there is an attendance policy--2 Sundays a month to be in good standing. I would imagine the majority of the Lutheran/Catholic schools are the same.