After much deliberation I've decided to put my son in private school.
Can I afford it.
Not really.
But there are no real alternatives.
Life sucks.
[Edited 5/19/08 10:32am]
[Edited 5/19/08 10:32am]

Do you want to share your reasoning?

The fact that you deliberated and made a decision suggests that there are alternatives.

If not that's cool, and I hope you do OK. I'm just a proponent of public schools.

Can you get a scholarship or grant of some kind?

Wow, my wife and I went through the same deliberations and decided that $14,000.00 per year is just TOO MUCH for Kindergarten. We're saving for private High School if anything at all (to be honest I want my kids to skip HS and go straight to College).

Good luck with that... seriously.

littlemissG said:

A topic very close to my heart. All of my kids (3) have gone to private school, and now my 4rth child Kelly, is starting in the fall. Thank god my son graduated last year! Santa Barbara is a beautiful city, but we have an awful public school system. I did not want my children falling through the cracks, and just getting by, I wanted them to excel and have all the opportunities I did not have. My children are smart and receive excellent grades, therefor they receive partial scholarships. I have made many mistakes in my life, but investing in my children's future is not one of them. I do have to cut corner's on costs of other things, I do not drive a fancy car, or buy fancy clothes, but I do feel great about their education.

The reasoning:
My son has ADD, he is distracted easily. He can't function in large classroom.

My local school system is AWFUL. The high schools have the same security as a minimum security prison and are underperforming.

He is currently in a charter school which only goes up to the 8th grade.
His teacher tells me often, because we talk often, that she doesn't understand why an A student is getting Cs.

He was in a private school from kindergarten to 4th grade where he did extremely well in very small classes.

I had him tested, he reads on the 9th grade level in the 7th grade.

If he doesn't do well in high school he'll have little chance of being accepted into an engineering school, and none of getting a scholarship.

I because I am co-caretaker for my mother, I can't move to a better school system.

Out of district tuition rates for better surrounding school districts are actually more than the private school I choose.

So it boils down to spend the money now to get him in to college. It's easier to get college scholarship and/or loans.
[Edited 5/19/08 11:31am]
[Edited 5/19/08 11:32am]

littlemissG said:

It *may* be cheaper to find rent in a part of town where he would be mapped to a better public school?

That's another option.

You're a good mom

littlemissG said:

I hear ya

There must be some sort of school funding.

Check into school grants, scholarships, student loans and so forth. Maybe his teacher, school counsellor, schoolboard would know. Surely there must be something out there to help you financially.