Only if your agenda is building character, fostering wit, and stewarding the spirit. If you’re producing workers who can be trained frequently to remember facts and behaviors, and measured easily, public schools can do nearly as well.

If you haven’t guessed, I don’t place a high value on standardized test scores. I question that the kids in the white suburban schools learn as much as 1/3 to 1/2 of what private school kids learn. Never mind the kids in the ghetto schools.

Re: $$ — Its my experience that there are many families with kids that barely scrape by and have to make decisions like cutting off cable or limiting vacation in order to cover unexpected expenses. $200 a month is a big chunk of change for such folks. If public schools were these dynamic, interactive places where kids and adults worked together to build educations, then I wouldn’t be complaining about the cost. All indications are that they aren’t and they don’t, so I play squeaky wheel on LJ.

My understanding is that the problem with public schools tend to be highly localized. White suburban schools consistently score and produce with the very best private schools for a fraction of the cost per pupil. The problem is with inner city/minority and rural schools which are underfunded, have more problem students, and lower quality staff.

when families have to work two jobs just to cover property taxes to pay for schools

?

Median home price in austin is ~200k, AISD tax rate is 1.163/$100, 2326$/year, roughly 200$/month. Admittedly painful but quite a bit less than day care or the 7-10k/yr of a private school.

But then there’s http://www.stfrancis-school.org/ - interdenominational…not sure how effects their academics.

The Episcopalian Schools are generally more open-minded I believe, academically rigorous but Expensive ($13-$14K/year). yikes.

St. Francis costs less: http://www.stfrancis-school.org/web/page/15 nor do they require an entrance exam (like the Episcopalian school).

This school is south - is interdenominational, costs less (non-Catholics pay more): http://www.st-ignatius.org/school/administration/admissions
http://www.st-ignatius.org/school/st-ignatius-martyr-school/10-reasons-why-you-should-consider-enrolling-your-child-st-ignatius

I wouldn’t rule it in out in future if we could afford it and public school (even with pursuing GT programs) was not serving Devin well. I’d prefer the Catholics over any Southern Protestant systems though, in a heart-beat.