Private vs Public

[fastpitchforever]

Agreed. That is poor parenting in my book.

[softballfan33]

Thanks for the comments. I actually let DD read this thread. She came to me last night and told me she wanted to stay at her private HS. She knows that the team will be awful. She doesn't seem to mind or at least not too much. She also understands that she is likely giving up any shot at playing for a state championship, which our local public schools seem to make a run at regularly (3 or 4 state titles in different divisions in last 4-5 years and one runner up I think). She likes her friends at her private school and told me that she talked to several of her TB friends about their public school experience here locally (several are already freshmen and sophomores). Some things that they said made her decision easier. The educational opportunities are a little different, as is class size and the ability to move forward at an independent pace. She says she also likes the responsibility she gets at the private school. She plays 4 sports, team captains 2, NJHS, pub lit editor, FCA, PSIA, Math olympics, etc, etc, etc. She said that based on what she had been told, she felt that she would be limited by the coach at the public school, pressuring her to stick with softball only and not split her time, even with non sporting activities. I think this was what some of the players had warned her about. I appreciate their honesty with her.


So, we will be thrilled to have a 4 sport athlete that also excels at softball outside the school environment as well as a really smart kid who will likely finish top 2-3 in her class at a very good private school with a much broader list of activities. In the long run, I think she will look back and be happy with her decision, even without a state title run to her name. I will let everyone know how it goes in 4 years...LOL!!!

[freetacos]

Wow. Ray ray's sister?


ft

[softballfan33]

Nah... She doesn't pitch. Hated it. And was never close to 45 mph much less 65 mph as a 10U.

[freetacos]

All in good fun sbf33. I wish your kid and your family nothing but the best...

ft

[hit4power]

Check their websites, most post their tuition and fees schedules.

Speaking HS (lower grades generally cost a bit less) in the Houston area, you're probably looking at anywhere from $16K - $25K per year. The Catholic schools will be at the lower end of that range while the schools like St. Johns, Kinkaid, etc will be at the higher end of that range. Safe to assume you need to come up with $2-3K above what they list for tuition and fees.

[softballfan33]

All in good fun sbf33. I wish your kid and your family nothing but the best...

ft

NP. I get jokes, even in written form..

As for the question regarding cost of private, it really depends on what part of the state you are in. Ours is 7-12K a year here per student (depending on which school), so 28-48K over HS 4 years, another 20-40K or so in MS. You can easily add another $3,000 over the year for extra curriculars and assorted mandatory fundraising. Not cheap, but classes of 12-14 are worth it (IMO) without dealing with the "no child left behind"/integrated mandatory classes and the "we have to teach to the STARR test or lose our money" mentality. If you are behind at our school, you have two options, get private tutoring and get caught up or leave and go somewhere else. That may sound harsh, but when I pay for school, I expect my kids to get taught and to be able to move forward, not be held back and bored.

And yes, I know I could have paid for college between the cost of private school and TB...LOL!!! But sometimes the journey is worth it. I spend more time with my kids than anyone else I know with all the travelling and weekends. That, as the commercial states, is "priceless".

[bucket_sitter]

UIL Private Schools Bill Advances in Texas Senate
Posted by Zach Taylor Sports Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A Texas Senate panel has endorsed letting private schools join the University Interscholastic League for all sports and activities except football and basketball.

Tuesday’s vote by the Senate education committee sends the bill to the full Senate for consideration. The measure by Sen. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican, is the latest effort to let private schools into the UIL, which has been rejected by lawmakers in previous years.

Public schools have resisted allowing private schools into the UIL over fears of recruiting for sports. Patrick has compared the separation to the era of racial segregation.

State law already allows two large Catholic schools, Dallas Jesuit and Houston Strake Jesuit, to compete in UIL. Dallas Jesuit won the first private school UIL state championship in boys’ soccer in 2010.