US: public school vs private - August 2024 Babies | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

I think it really depends on where you live. Some areas have excellent public schools, others do not.

We'll be sending ours to public school because we're by the top elementary school in the city. The middle and high school aren't that great, but we plan to move before then to a different district.

I'd do some research in your area, talk to parents and tour the schools!

This HIGHLY depends on where you live and what's available to you.

Where I live, if you go to public school you go based on where you live. So you can only go to a zoned school. If you live in a decent area then chances are that you have decent schools. However, class sizes tend to be much larger in public schools.

Private school tends to have smaller classes, and you can go to whichever school regardless of where you live. The main issue is price. Private pre-k can be about $20K and up. I went to public school for half my life and then to Private school. Private school tuition here is INSANE. When I started (over 15 years ago) it was $25K for K through 12. By the time I got to high school it was supposed to be $30K. By the time I graduated (just over 10 years ago) it was $33K. Now it's almost $60K. And most comparable private schools here are in that range ($50K to $65K). Catholic schools are significantly cheaper, but many of them are basically public schools you pay for.

I personally would never send my kid to private school for their entire academic career because, at least here, private school kids are a lot more sheltered and just not aware of their privilege and how the real world works. Private schools here tend to breed entitled kids who know that they're guaranteed to graduate and go to a decent college because of the school they go to. They don't necessarily have to work hard. I had MANY lazy students in my class. If I did private school then it would be similar to how I did it (for middle and high school) because that's when it matters more and when it will have a bigger impact on things like college.

Like I said, this highly depends on where you live and what's available. If you have good public schools near you then I would stick with those. If you don't have good public schools then look into private ones.

It definitely depends on the schools in your area. Ask moms who have elementary aged kids what they think of the schools!

I totally understand the reasoning behind private school, but if your child is neurodivergent or has any type of special learning need you should definitely consider public school. Private schools do not have the resources or knowledge to handle these issues unless they are a specialized private school.

Public school teacher here - as a lot of people have said it really depends on your area. I’m really lucky and live in an area with great public schools. Also keep in mind that private schools don’t necessarily require teachers to have teaching credentials so they’re generally “less qualified”. However, that’s absolutely not always the case. There are obviously really great private school teachers.

Education in general is going through it right now. A lot of cultural, and political *** has happened with schools since Covid. If it were me, I’d ignore what the hype says in the media and go visit the schools you’re considering. Talk to the parents and teachers. Find out if it’s a good fit for your kid. No school is perfect, but in my experience 99% of the people who work at them are there to help kids succeed. Good luck!

I do live in a great community and the elementary public school is ranked #13 in niche