$11,380
$10,800
$10,800
$10,460
$8,800
$8,480
So, what do you think I'm talking about here? The price of a new car? A down payment on a house? New furniture for my house?
Nope. These are the prices for next year's FIRST GRADE tuition at the 5 closest Christian schools. Oh yes, I kid you not. That doesn't even include all the fees, which ranged anywhere from $300 to $1000 when added together. Let's not forget supplies and the cost of uniforms. What the heck!?!?!
You may think I'm crazy for even looking at these. I am a planner, but even I'm not that crazy. It actually all started with Little Man. I was looking for Christian schools for him. I looked at two and was shocked at the tuition. I was hoping it was just because they are huge. So I kept looking and digging hoping I would come across an "average" Christian school. Yeah, no. I even looked outside my box thinking that we haven't bought a house yet and we could choose a central location based on work and school. We live in a very affluent area, so I was hoping the surrounding cities would be better. Nope. Some of those prices above are the surrounding cities!
This is freaking me out a bit. I do realize that my child is not even born yet (which really just means the prices will be higher when she's ready to go to school). However, I have always just envisioned my child going to a Christian school. It started all the way back when I was in high school. My views on the topic were made even stronger after teaching at a Christian school. The public schools here are suppose to be amazing. I have some great friends who I know are amazing public school teachers. I'm not out to bash public schools. I just have strong opinions on the topic and that's what being a parent is. Doing what you believe is best for your child. I've learned never to say never. I'm not saying my kids will never attend a public school. What I am saying is, it would be my very last choice.
I actually toured the closest Christian school to us (that would be the $10, 460 one) last week. K is now reconsidering where to send Little Man. Something about the Montessori teaching that there are "multiple gods". (Hello!?! Doesn't this just prove my point!) This is the nicest Christian school I've ever been in. I have a feeling though, that it is just how it is done down here. Right. Even though I was there to help decide if it was good for LM, I just kept thinking about how I would love my kids to go there. One mom was saying how she decided Christian schools were right for her kid when the public school told her second grader she wasn't allowed to wear a cross necklace. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, but I had to try to not start crying. Just the thought of sending my child to a school where our values and morals aren't reinforced, or sometimes even allowed, scares the crap out of me.
I have always known that Christian school was a sacrifice. I knew it was a sacrifice when my parents chose to send me. I knew it was a sacrifice when I chose to attend a Christian college (that I'm still sacrificing/paying on). I knew it was a sacrifice when I was teaching at one. I knew it would be a sacrifice when I would send my kid(s) to one. $10,000 is just a wee bit more of a sacrifice than I think may even be possible. Especially considering by the time Olivia goes to first grade, I will most likely not be working with LM and making what I make. Then just think about adding a second child into the mix. Sure, you get a sibling discount. You know what it is? $500. Really? That's my discount?! Oh dear. Michael may get his wish and we may just end up being a home school family after all.
(Side note: I chose to look at the first grade tuition, because at this point I am already planning on homeschooling for preschool and Kindergarten. Mostly because down here they have the kids going for extended periods of time. I don't think a 3 year old needs to go to school 5 days a week or 3 days from 9 to 2:30. I also don't think a Kindergartner needs to be going all day. Plus, Kindergarten isn't mandatory in the state of Texas. She can learn everything she needs to learn from me and still be allowed to be a 5 year old and enjoy her day. These opinions came after teaching both half day and full day kids and realizing the half day kids that are home with mom/grandma/aunt ended up being smarter than the full day kids. That's a whole other post though!)
This is freaking me out a bit. I do realize that my child is not even born yet (which really just means the prices will be higher when she's ready to go to school). However, I have always just envisioned my child going to a Christian school. It started all the way back when I was in high school. My views on the topic were made even stronger after teaching at a Christian school. The public schools here are suppose to be amazing. I have some great friends who I know are amazing public school teachers. I'm not out to bash public schools. I just have strong opinions on the topic and that's what being a parent is. Doing what you believe is best for your child. I've learned never to say never. I'm not saying my kids will never attend a public school. What I am saying is, it would be my very last choice.
I actually toured the closest Christian school to us (that would be the $10, 460 one) last week. K is now reconsidering where to send Little Man. Something about the Montessori teaching that there are "multiple gods". (Hello!?! Doesn't this just prove my point!) This is the nicest Christian school I've ever been in. I have a feeling though, that it is just how it is done down here. Right. Even though I was there to help decide if it was good for LM, I just kept thinking about how I would love my kids to go there. One mom was saying how she decided Christian schools were right for her kid when the public school told her second grader she wasn't allowed to wear a cross necklace. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, but I had to try to not start crying. Just the thought of sending my child to a school where our values and morals aren't reinforced, or sometimes even allowed, scares the crap out of me.
I have always known that Christian school was a sacrifice. I knew it was a sacrifice when my parents chose to send me. I knew it was a sacrifice when I chose to attend a Christian college (that I'm still sacrificing/paying on). I knew it was a sacrifice when I was teaching at one. I knew it would be a sacrifice when I would send my kid(s) to one. $10,000 is just a wee bit more of a sacrifice than I think may even be possible. Especially considering by the time Olivia goes to first grade, I will most likely not be working with LM and making what I make. Then just think about adding a second child into the mix. Sure, you get a sibling discount. You know what it is? $500. Really? That's my discount?! Oh dear. Michael may get his wish and we may just end up being a home school family after all.
(Side note: I chose to look at the first grade tuition, because at this point I am already planning on homeschooling for preschool and Kindergarten. Mostly because down here they have the kids going for extended periods of time. I don't think a 3 year old needs to go to school 5 days a week or 3 days from 9 to 2:30. I also don't think a Kindergartner needs to be going all day. Plus, Kindergarten isn't mandatory in the state of Texas. She can learn everything she needs to learn from me and still be allowed to be a 5 year old and enjoy her day. These opinions came after teaching both half day and full day kids and realizing the half day kids that are home with mom/grandma/aunt ended up being smarter than the full day kids. That's a whole other post though!)
I'm w/ you on the public school/Christian school thing. I remember in my public school I had to take Earth Science. It was about the Big Bang Theory, there was an essay question on a test regarding it, and I wrote how that it's a bunch of nonsense and God created the Heavens & the Earth...I flunked the test, but didn't care--I can't imagine my child not being able to wear a cross--I believe if you pray and are faithful, God will open that door for you, so your children are either homeschooled or in a Christian school--I know mine will be!!! <3 ya!
ReplyDeleteMaria Montessori was Catholic. I'm not sure why they would teach multiple gods?
ReplyDelete