Dallas Private Schools for Elementary, or Lakewood/HPISD? (Stonewall: how much, middle school)

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Here is another issue which private school parents often face.

“Had I saved the money I spent on private school, and invested it, I could have paid for my kids’ Ph.D. programs. Instead, like most parents, we are paying what we can as we go and likely putting their undergraduate and graduate degrees on student loans.”

Ph.D slots, nearly all of the real ones, are supported through teaching assistantships - usually teaching undergrads, research assistantships - usually helping a researching professor with his/her research or fellowships/some sort of public + private stipend arrangement - gifts of money for being a Ph.D candidate. Parents nor students with few exceptions are not paying. Some fellowships are directly funded via 100% private sources.

Exceptions are often people like me who took a million years to finish. As I was working full time and had the funds I was expected to pay and did although with some nice offsets as I nearly always helped some geezer with his/her pet research on a limited basis.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

I understand your point, but no one should be paying for his or her own PhD program.

Obviously, he isn’t paying for PhD but had he used public schools and invested tuition, not only they’ll have free undergrad and grad/ professional degrees but have extra if needed. He paid roughly a million dollars for private K-12 school education of 3 kids. Of course if OP has enough, they can fund both school and college and this isn’t their headache. .

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by camj10

Lakewood and Stonewall are both very good elementary schools (Stonewall, due to size, might work better for you) with some extraordinary teachers and strong community support, but agree that looking at less traditional schools may be your best choice. There are many posts on the public Montessori schools. They are difficult to get into due to interest vs. available spots and other criteria, but would be worth researching and considering. And while I have heard mostly good things from families with kids at Alcuin, St. Mark's etc. these are the priciest private schools in Dallas, so if you and your spouse are not aligned due to the cost and you are more interested in ensuring a positive school experience for your kids rather than a top/elite private, then it only makes sense to cross those off your list.

I took it as a baseline assumption that OP's budget could handle HPISD or private school, otherwise these questions are purely academic.

[camj10]

Originally Posted by numbersguy100

I took it as a baseline assumption that OP's budget could handle HPISD or private school, otherwise these questions are purely academic.

No, she indicates that the cost is a concern, so even if their budget can support a more expensive school, another approach is to consider some of the more "reasonably priced" privates if she is more interested in her kids having a private education vs going to the most elite privates in the area. Even if it will only save $10,000 a year per kid, that is substantial and adds up to significant cost savings vs the most expensive privates.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by fort.worth.native

I'm trying to understand the big difference between the privates versus a HP for example. Is it the intangibles? Do they focus much more on the children's moral compass, etc? Smaller classes?

At the end of the day, he's going to do what's best for our children after gathering all of the facts, but I've found that gathering the facts is my job because he thinks he'll guide them well enough if we do public. I do not have good arguments simply because all I've ever known is parochial school in DFW (nothing top tier), and I wasn't terribly impressed with what I saw the kids I knew doing going to Southlake (where I grew up) and what most of them ended up doing career-wise.

I've learned as I've gotten older that so much of many people's success is through networking, and what a huge advantage that could give our children as they go on through life.

One more thing... we are not concerned with our children going to Ivy leagues... my husband went to A&M and I went to SMU and both have very successful careers, we'd be perfectly happy with our children going to either. We just want to give them all of the tools they need to be successful as adults.

Given your last paragraph, HPISD will set your kids up for success in college and beyond - and provide that network you're seeking. Just from my graduating class and the ones bookending mine are two Emmy winners, a Tony winner, a World Series winning Pitcher, the person who patented UPF swimwear, an international street style star and former fashion magazine editor, a big time professional commercial photographer, three award winning chefs (SF / Dallas / Austin), an accomplished filmmaker, a NYT best-selling author, and a whole bunch of regular ole MDs / JDs / finance and business folks. White House and Congressional internships and fellowships are common amongst the college set. Of course, a percentage of every graduating class will wash out, but generally excellence is EXPECTED. In academics, in athletics, in extra-curriculars.

Someone later in this thread said HPISD spends a lot of time prepping for the state standardized tests. That was not my experience nor is it the experience of friends with kids at the elementary school levels. They're smart kids, a few practice tests the week or two leading up to the test is enough prep vs some other area districts where it's year-round prep.

The big differences between privates and HPISD is size of graduating class (HPHS is in the mid 500's now vs 90-120 range at St Marks / ESD / Greenhill), size of individual classss (HPISD's over-crowding has caused parents to sign waivers to be above the state's recommended size at all grade levels; hopefully the 5th elementary will help alleviate at lower grade levels but middle school and high school still big), and just the general private vs public differences (no chapel, fewer over the top resources and facilities, fewer holidays/ breaks throughout the year, no uniforms, etc).

[kyam11]

LOL at that list. Almost every thing you listed has little to do with the education received in high school other than MD/JD/finance and author.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by kyam11

LOL at that list. Almost every thing you listed has little to do with the education received in high school other than MD/JD/finance and author.

I disagree. Did the HPHS education directly inform all of those accomplishments? Maybe not, but the HPHS environment and culture of succsss did. I would also argue that the athletics and arts programs nurtured the alumni who have excelled in those fields. Clayton Kershaw is a lot younger than I am, but was drafted #1 right out of high school. The Tony Award winner still credits Linda Raya (longtime HPHS theatre teacher) as his mentor and springboard to Broadway. The photographers both discovered their talent in the HPHS darkroom while taking photography as an elective.

[kretsch]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I disagree. Clayton Kershaw is a lot younger than I am, but was drafted #1 right out of high school.

Clayton Kershaw would have been drafted #1 regardless of any HS he went to

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by fort.worth.native

I know there are a ton of threads on the Dallas private schools, and I feel like I've read them all. I had/have my heart set on sending my children to private school because I enjoyed my experience, but my husband who did very well in life going to a small town public school doesn't see the need. While money is his major driving factor here, he just cannot seem to understand that private schools really DO offer more for the children (he's not even interested in touring them) to justify spending that kind of money.

I'd love to know others thoughts on whether it makes sense to push for private elementary, or are you getting almost as good an education going through HP or Lakewood Elementary and then transferring into private middle school. I just know there's a big difference from middle school on. I know nothing at all about public schools and if their elementary programs measure up to a private (for the most part). Anyone have any thoughts on this?

My children are in an AMI Montessori program at the moment, and will finish out Kindergarten there. I like the looks of St. Marks as well as the reputation, but I also like the freedom that an Alcuin/less traditional school offers.

What's your home buying budget?

[numbersguy100]

Originally Posted by camj10

No, she indicates that the cost is a concern, so even if their budget can support a more expensive school, another approach is to consider some of the more "reasonably priced" privates if she is more interested in her kids having a private education vs going to the most elite privates in the area. Even if it will only save $10,000 a year per kid, that is substantial and adds up to significant cost savings vs the most expensive privates.

Maybe I'm misreading this, but her husband appears to have a preference for a free public school instead of private school. The argument appears to be based on lack of perceived value rather than budget specifically. I also have not advocated that OP choose only the elite private schools in Dallas, given her stated preferences, just saying that if she's contemplating them as a choice, I would have assumed it was feasible for them money-wise.