Sending your child to a private school in California can be a costly endeavor. While not required, families are also expected to make a donation to support the school's programs. If it is a non-profit school, this donation is tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. Most schools would like 100% parent participation in the annual funding appeal, as it makes it easier for schools to obtain grants and other sources of funding.
Schools expect families to donate at a level that doesn't pose a difficulty. It's worth asking what the typical or expected donation is, so you can include this information in your total cost calculation. Other “donation opportunities” include fundraising auctions and capital campaigns. Although it's not an explicit cost, schools vary in terms of the parent involvement they expect, so it's worth asking what their expectations are in that area. There are many other costs to consider when calculating the total cost of sending your child to private school.
These costs include the cost of uniforms, expanded day care, after-school enrichment programs, special travel, additional materials and other miscellaneous charges. Fortunately, most schools offer some financial aid, and some schools offer significant help. Most of the aid granted is needs-based and can be in the form of indexed or flexible tuition or direct grants. Most schools participate in the School Scholarship Service, which calculates a family's ability to pay based on information collected in the Personal Financial Statement.
Assistance forms are expected to be submitted along with applications for admission. Aid levels vary widely by school, so parents should ask what percentage of students receive some form of financial aid and what is the average scholarship amount. The percentage of students receiving aid reaches 88 per cent in some schools and in some schools 90 per cent of their students receive scholarships for more than 50 per cent of their tuition. Therefore, it is important not only to take into account the gross cost of attendance in your calculations, but also the net cost of attending after receiving the aid. No need to repay financial aid. All private schools charge fees, but only a few are for-profit companies.
Some are non-profit organizations run by religious organizations or private foundations. A non-profit school is likely to have lower rates than a for-profit institution. For example, Montessori schools focus on helping children explore and learn in their own way and at their own pace. That means that a family earning the median income would have to spend about 23% of their net salary to send only one child to a private school and 46% for two children. Since public schools get most of their funding from local property taxes, the best schools tend to be in expensive areas.
Increases in private school enrollment have averaged about 4 to 6 per cent per year, compared to overall inflation of 2 to 3 per cent. According to these figures, California public schools cost almost twice as much as the average private schools in California. Compare that to the cost of nearby districts, and then compare the difference to the cost of private schools near you. California universities can also be filtered by public, private, community and four-year schools. Early in my research, I was fortunate enough to discover two private school consultants, Betsy Little and Paula Molligan, and their informative book, Private K-8 Schools of San Francisco and Marin. There are 4,340 magnet schools in the country that educate more than 3.5 million students, according to Magnet Schools of America. There is evidence that private schools prepare students better for college than public schools.
But if you want to make sure your children have the most qualified teachers, it might make more sense to choose a public school. The first costs you are likely to encounter in your search for a private school in the Bay Area are admission costs. A small school, even one with lots of resources, can't support so many different programs because it simply doesn't have enough students to participate in them. This larger size gives public schools an edge when it comes to extracurricular activities such as sports, theater, debate clubs, and community service programs. It is worth noting that choosing before and after care at the school your child attends is convenient and often profitable. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, public schools must provide educational programs for students with disabilities and hire teachers who are trained to work with those students.
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