difference between public and private schools (Santa Clarita: low income, to rent, how much)

[Colognegirl]

I'm from Germany and our public school system is pretty good,we rarely have private schools. 99,99 % of students in Germany visit public schools.

So, I'm wondering if the private schools are really better than public schools in USA ? We're looking forward to move to LA next year and my son will start 9th grade High school. Americans recommended a private school , Germans living in USA told me that private schools are mostly not better than public schools.
What are your expiriences ? And how much does a private school cost by average ?
Thank you for your help.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Colognegirl

So, I'm wondering if the private schools are really better than public schools in USA ?

Some are better.


What are your expiriences ?

I grew up in a neighbor hood that had slightly below average public schools and I was an only child. My parents sent me to good private schools. Since I have had children I have chosen to live in neighborhoods with good government (public) schools. Also, since we're open minded, we don't go to church or expose our kids to religious education - often a core subject at private schools.



And how much does a private school cost by average ?
I don't know but an average is probably not a good metric since the standard deviation for private school tuition is so high.

If you have a lot of kids, it probably makes more financial sense to buy a home where good government schools are. If you have only one kid, then private schools are an option.
One other thing that may be nice: Often private schools are small and it is a little easier to make the sports teams. This helped me as I probably couldn't have played varsity soccer or football at the public Canoga Park High School.

Let's get some more information from you:

Do you know where you will be living?
Do you know where your jobs will be?
Do you know what your housing budget will be?

(How come you aren't watching Dirk right now like I am?)

[Ceece]

Private schools can be horrid, mine was.

[Colognegirl]

Originally Posted by Charles

If you have a lot of kids, it probably makes more financial sense to buy a home where good government schools are. If you have only one kid, then private schools are an option.
One other thing that may be nice: Often private schools are small and it is a little easier to make the sports teams. This helped me as I probably couldn't have played varsity soccer or football at the public Canoga Park High School.

Let's get some more information from you:

Do you know where you will be living?
Do you know where your jobs will be?
Do you know what your housing budget will be?

(How come you aren't watching Dirk right now like I am?)

Sorry,that I answer so late,i couldn't use Internet for a while.
We will be living in Santa Clarita or nearby : Valancia....
My husband can work at home so we are free to rent a house in the school area.
Our housing budget will be not bad, we could probably afford a private school.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Colognegirl

Sorry,that I answer so late,i couldn't use Internet for a while.
We will be living in Santa Clarita or nearby : Valancia....
My husband can work at home so we are free to rent a house in the school area.
Our housing budget will be not bad, we could probably afford a private school.

There are very good government schools in Santa Clarita

California School Performance Maps

[BRinSM]

the public schools should be excellent in valencia, no need to spend the extra money for private schools. private schools tend to be more popular with parents who want their children to have a religious influence at school or live in areas where the public schools do not perform well. the problem with LA is that the vast majority of the school-aged population are either immigrants or children of immigrants who don't speak strong english and live in poverty stricken neighborhoods. this combination is not conducive to strong academic performance. however, this is not an issue in valencia, so you should be fine.

[True Freedom]

The only thing I can say is, "it depends"

Public schools are obligated to educate anyone in the district, and some districts will take transfers from neighboring districts.

So, if you are comfortable with the populace in your district, and the school scores well and gets good reviews.. I'd go for it.

For my family, we live in a district where 10% of the *middle* school kids are in gang prevention programs... 2/3 are low income, 1/3 have English as a second language, there's a very unbalanced racial mix, suspension/expulsion rates for drugs/violence are through the roof, graduation rates and test scores are low...

I have three kids in private. Some things I really like about private (i was a product of public, btw):
all of the families, by definition, value education.. this helps create a good educational atmosphere
zero tolerance policy for drugs/ violence
strong ethics program - echoes what we teach at home. It helps that our kid's peers are all hearing the same messages.. positive reinforcement of a good value system
stability - with the state's budget mess, you never know if your school will close, teacher's dismissed, programs canceled. It's a mess, and the uncertainty would drive me crazy.
Huge parent involvement - good community feeling, again, helps to create good educational environ

$18k per kid per year.. and couldn't be happier (well, unless I could get the same for free

[Colognegirl]

Thanks all for the information.