Private schools in Raleigh (Cary, Wake Forest: how much, catholic schools, subsidized)

[deaksus]

We are researching a possible move to Raleigh from California and would love to hear from anyone with information about private schools in the area. We are looking in North Raleigh - any opinions about St. Timothy's? Any other good private schools to recommend (preferably Christian)? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

[rfb]

There are several Catholic schools in the area. See http://www.dioceseofraleigh.org/docs...hools_wake.pdf for a map of their location and names. I can't provide any feedback first-hand feedback on a particular school. I do have work colleagues who have children at both Cathedral Elementary and The Franciscan School, and all are quite happy with the education they are receiving.

[mfrank2109]

You have quite a few options depending on how much money you want to spend and how many years away you are from your children going to high school. Ravenscroft is probably the most expensive and has great facilities and reputation. It has classes from K to 12. North Raleigh Christian Academy also has K-12 and relatively new facilities. St. Timothy's has a good reputation, but it only goes to 8th grade which may or may not be an issue for you. The Catholic Schools include Cathedral (downtown), St. Raphael, The Franciscan School, Our Lady of Lourdes (inside the beltline), and St. Catherine's in Wake Forest. All are K-8 but feed Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh. However if you are not Catholic, you will pay a premium and may have a problem getting your kids in since most have a waiting list for most grades. St. David's is inside the beltline and used to be associated with St. Timothy's, but they split a number of years ago but I think alot of St. Timothy parents still send their children to high school at St. David's which has K-12. Friendship Baptist also has a school but I'm not sure to what grade level. Trinity academy is also a Christian School located in North Raleigh with grades K-12. I'm sure there are more. I have sent my kids to Catholic Schools in Raleigh since Kindergarten - one big advantage is you don't have to worry about your child getting re-assigned to a different school every other year. Good luck!

[HOltmans]

I have brothers and sisters that attended NRCA (North Raleigh Christian Academy). They absolutely loved it there. They do have a new and very impressive campus. Here is a link to their website. You can find them at www.nrcaknights.com

[leighbhe]

I too have heard great things about North Raleigh Christian.

I think, if you go to the carolinaparent.com website you can access their list of schools, both public and private. The magazine has lots of resources, and an extensive list of schools.

Good luck!

Leigh

[lamishra]

St. Timothy's is considered a very good school. It's been around for a VERY long time and has a very good reputation. I've heard mixed reviews on NRCA, particularly their discipline policy. I don't know what yours is, but that's something you might look into as I've heard it's somewhat controversial.

[deaksus]

Thank you all so much for the info! Our kids are attending a K-8 Christian school that seems very much like St. Timothy's, which is why that particular school looked interesting to me; I hadn't heard of the other schools mentioned in your posts and it is nice to know that there is so much choice. If we do relocate to Raleigh I guess my next concern will be whether or not there will be openings (we aren't Catholic so I won't pin my hopes on those schools) - we'll just have to cross that bridge if we come to it. Thanks again to everyone for the help!

[hi2nc]

Originally Posted by mfrank2109

...However if you are not Catholic, you will pay a premium and may have a problem getting your kids in since most have a waiting list for most grades.

So non-Catholics pay a higher tuition? Is that common? Is that even legal?
BTW - I'm a Catholic.

[rfb]

Originally Posted by hi2nc

So non-Catholics pay a higher tuition? Is that common? Is that even legal?
BTW - I'm a Catholic.

Many Catholic schools have tiered pricing - one price for parishioners of the parish with which the school is affiliated, one for parishioners of other Catholic parishes within the diocese, and a third for non-Catholics. This makes sense as the schools were usually built with funds from the affiliated Catholic church and diocese, and are often times subsidized by these groups as well.

Not all Catholic schools do this, though. I was talking with a co-worker who attends Our Lady of Lourdes and sends her children to the Cathedral School. It now charges two fees based on the level of parental involvement and no longer factors in whether you are Catholic.

Even with the extra expense for non-Catholics, Catholic schools are often times the least expensive private school options.

[Mom2TwoGirls]

We're in the process of moving up to North Raleigh from Cary (30 minutes apart), and have been investigating schools in that area. For most of the schools mentioned above, I've heard they're all very good academically. For Christian schools, we've heard great things about Trinity and North Raleigh Christian (NRC). The two differences I've heard so far about those two are that North Raleigh may be more established building wise, but perhaps Trinity has a slight edge on academics. St. David's and St. Timothy's are also good choices for non-Christian/non-Catholic schools academically (I think they're Episcopalian), but St. David's kids tend to be bratty because they're from more affluent families inside the beltline (just telling you what I've heard). Both are pricier than Trinity/NRC, and I think Ravenscroft is pricier yet. Ravenscroft also has good academics, but I've heard enough so-so and negative reports out of that school to make me think that it's not worth the money. (Again, just telling you what I've heard from multiple sources, including families who send their kids there). Someone in the school administration business in the area said that NRC is probably the best bet for the money. You'll also want to consider the locations, too, since the five mentioned here are spread out across North Raleigh.