Hastings public schools or Masters? (Hastings-on-Hudson, Hudson: neighborhood, private schools, tax)

[jane2482]

My husband and I live in Hastings-on-Hudson and have a son who will be starting school in the fall. I've heard that the public schools in Hastings are great, and we're definitely leaning towards that, but we've also heard great things about the Masters School. Just from some preliminary online browsing and informal discussion, it does seem that Masters is a better school, with more individual attention paid to students, better programming with more resources, a beautiful campus, etc. Quite a few people complained about experiences in Hastings public schools, but reviews of Masters were unanimously positive. I've also heard students are exposed to a more diverse, international student body than they would in Hastings public schools. Of course, it's pretty pricey as well. From anyone who knows, is it worth it to send kids to Masters, or would we do just as well in Hastings?

[ponytrekker]

If you got the $, private school is worth it. Hastings schools are OK (they used to be better) if your kid is in the middle third. Up or down, not so much.

Very cliquish neighborhood. Schools reflect that. Your experience with the Masters school would be different, in my understanding.

[Forest_Hills_Daddy]

Both my children attend private school in NYC. In my observation, the advantages tend to lean towards non-academic matters:

- Since the school has only one campus, pick up/drop off is done in the same location for both. No need to run from one campus to another.
- Schools are generally more accommodating when it comes to logistics, which is good if both parents are working. It's fine for example if kids are dropped off a little earlier in the morning.
- Common core is not widely implemented. At least in my kids' school, it's limited to math only (many private schools use some version of common core math like "everyday math" or "singapore math"). If you absolutely do not like any kind common core subjects, you need to ask Masters.
- Everyday gym for lower grades, 3x/week for upper grades.
- No issues with funding for arts education.
- There is no substitution of teachers for computers.
- Elder kid can watch over the younger one in school and can report to the parent how the younger is doing.
- No cut policy for sports teams (caveat: many private schools do cut for popular sports like soccer and tennis so you need to ask Masters).
- No issues getting kid into special programs like enrichment, accelerated subjects etc.
- As you stated, an international student body can have benefits especially once kids graduate and they can travel and visit classmates who have resettled in other parts of the world. However, not all private schools have a large international body (eg, Loyola's is largely domestic).
- Because the student body is smaller, it's not uncommon for kids in various grades to socialize and become friends. My eldest is in 5th and she has many close friends in 6th and 4th grades.

That said, I do not live in a high tax area so financing is not that much an issue for me. I would think that if one of us was stay at home, we would have tried the public school.