Our Mommyhood

With the costs of food, clothing and gasoline rising every month, many families face tighter budgets than ever before. Even people in stable jobs with reliable incomes are finding that, due to the higher costs of necessities, they have less money for nonessential items. These economic realities are forcing parents to examine every expenditure in the family budget.

The Costs

Many parents, who previously have taken for granted their child’s attendance to a private school, may wonder whether or not the hundreds of dollars spent on private education are really worth the expense. Over the course of the 13 years that a child is in school, a private school education can amount to thousands of dollars. If a parent has more than one child, the educational expenditures before college can add up to enough money to buy a home. When families are struggling to make ends meet, the monthly tuition check can be seen as a source of money that will ease the financial pressure in the family budget.

3 Tips to Consider

When parents are considering whether or not they should continue paying for a private school education for their children, they should consider several things. First, they should examine the quality of the public schools for which their children are zoned. If a school is unsafe or failing, parents will probably want to continue sending their child to a private school. Sometimes, parents find that the elementary school is acceptable, but the high school is terrible or vice versa. These parents may decide that their children can attend public schools for the lower grades, but once they reach high school, the child will transfer to a private high school. If parents have children in both elementary and upper grades, it may be inconvenient to have them in separate schools, but the money freed up by withdrawing one child from the private school may make it worth the hassle.

Second, parents who are considering the necessity for a private school education should look at their motives for sending their children to a private school. In some areas, having a child in a particular private school is seen as a status symbol. Parents with tight budgets must honestly reflect on whether or not the status symbol is worth the financial struggle. Some parents send their children to private schools because of learning disabilities that can be better addressed in the smaller classroom size of a private school. These parents will be wise to consider whether or not a public school can address the needs of the child. Many parents send their children to private schools because of school violence in the local public school system. These parents may want to move to a safer school zone if the budget will not allow them to continue the tuition payment at a private school.

Third, parents who are deciding about the best education for their children can take a look at the opportunities that the child will receive in a public school. If a child is very intelligent and the public school system has no gifted or advanced program, he may spend years in classrooms that do not challenge him academically. This may also hurt the child’s chances for college scholarships, increasing the cost of college for the parents. However, many public schools provide wonderful opportunities for gifted or talented students, so this will not hurt the child’s future.

Making the Decision

Some parents may decide that their children must continue in a private school despite the financial strain. These parents should contact the school and see whether or not a scholarship fund is available for under-privileged students. Additionally, they can check to see whether or not a school provides work opportunities to offset the cost of tuition. Parents may spend several hours a week working at the school to help pay for their child’s education. These opportunities may range from janitorial work to office work, depending on the skill-set that a parent can offer.

The decision of whether or not a private education is worth the money will be unique for every family. This question has no clear-cut answer, since school zones, the needs of children and budget priorities are different from family to family. Parents should honestly consider all the variables to make the best choice for their family.

Sheila Barnett writes on personal finance and family budgeting for financial calculator, a site with helpful tools and information about debt management and financing; check out this retirement calculator!

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