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We Decided On Parochial School

All parents want the best for their children, and we aren’t any different, so we moved to a wonderful neighborhood with top rated public schools. The elementary school my son is supposed to start in the fall when he enters kindergarten is literally 4 blocks from our home, a beautiful stone building located on a large block with sprawling lawn. Our property taxes are phenomenally high because our town spends quite a bit on educating our youth, and I really like that.

But we decided to send our sons to parochial school anyway.

love him

I’m not sure if we’ll be able to afford it every year, or if the nine mile drive each way each day is going to wear me down over time. It’s already wearing, and I only bring him three days a week for pre-k, but after seeing how he changed- he transformed- over the last two years under the care of loving, sweet, hard-working teachers at the parochial school associated with our church, I just knew I wanted him to continue there.

I love that he is learning how to play a musical instrument, and how to dance, and to speak a second language. I love that they teach him to pray, and share, and the basics of manners and health (he doesn’t believe me when I tell him never brushing his teeth means his teeth can ruin- he had to hear it from his teacher). I love that they bring the children to the front door, escorted, until they see the children in their parents’ arms, and that they teach diversity, art, history, and so much more.

I’m sure many schools are wonderful, and our town school is definitely one of the best, but I feel a sense of community when I bring him to that far away school where all the children learn in a faith-filled atmosphere. I hope in the long run it’s the right decision.

Where do you send your children to school? Did you ever consider parochial school?




  • We thought about it but it is very expensive and decided to homeschool.

  • Oh how I wish our schools in our local area were good quality schools. I love homeschooling our kids, but I feel like it holds me back from really making our life better because I can’t “work” like I want to in all areas of our lives. I feel like I’m being held back from doing what I should be doing, and in many ways, I feel like I’m failing them.
    However, we’ve tried every school system around us (within a reasonable driving distance away for us that’s well over a 20 minute drive one way.) ALL of them were horrible.
    I am so glad that you were blessed with a remarkable school to send your son too.

  • My son currently attends a top-rated elementary school. However, I’ll probably send him to a Christian school once he goes into junior high since I’m not a fan of the public middle schools or high schools (too much goes on). Junior high is around the time I started going to a Christian school. 🙂

  • Raijean

    Yeah, that’s a big decision!! I can understand the fear!

  • Mickey

    You’re doing what you think is best for him and it sounds like a great fit. Our church Pre-K is phenomenal and known around the county for how amazing it is, but for some reason that doesn’t continue very far into the elementary school. :/ We ended up putting the girls into a charter school.

  • I actually homeschool my daughter and that continues to work well for us. I think every family needs to see what best suits them and I’m glad you found the system you’re most comfortable with!

  • Good for you, making the decision that is best for your children. I hear you on the long drive. We are about 30 minutes away from anything. Before I started homeschooling the boys, I would drive my oldest to a school in a different zone. It was a total of 2 hours total every day taking him and picking him up from school.

  • We live in a really, really nice neighborhood and the school my kids attend is considered top rated and have received many awards. They’re a little strict and do some stuff differently, but I like it because my kids know so much more. My oldest daughter speaks five languages, she knows how to play five instruments, and she draws beautifully. But, if I had the money to send my kids somewhere else, I’d jump at the chance, especially if it’ll make them more competitive in today’s world.

  • It always feels so good after making a big decision like that! My son is currently in private school because they don’t offer public preschool but we’ll be trying out the public school when he starts kindergarten in the fall because the school he’s zoned for is supposed to be awesome. If it doesn’t work out, he’ll go back to where he’s attending preschool now.

  • It was never a consideration for me be because we always chose a home based specifically on the school district so I knew the kids would be well taken care of in the public school system. My sister and my brother both chose to send their kids to parochial schools though.

  • My kids go to public school because we can’t afford private. We would really love to send them to the Catholic school that’s less than 2 miles away, but it’s just way out of our budget. I’m going to a home school conference this summer to see if that’s a road I’d like to take.

  • Sounds like a great school with lots of great opportunities!!! The commute would be rough after awhile but so worth it in the end! Maybe you can find someone in your area to carpool with!

  • Penelope

    Ooh, good thinking!

  • Penelope

    Wow, I can’t believe so many families homeschool! If I were more organized and had teaching skills, I would consider this, but I don’t, so it would only hurt my children for me to even consider homeschooling.

  • Both of mine go to public schools however with budget cuts, changes in NYS curriculum etc…I’m very disappointed. I don’t understand why education has to be cut from budgets. It is so important.

  • Good for you and our situations sound very similar! I could easily walk a short block to the school bus pickup and send my children to our zoned elementary school, but like you, I want what is best for them. Instead I drive them 15 miles each way where they attend a charter school. Here they learn violin, have dance and theater classes, also learn a second language, and have smaller class sizes. Sacrifice is the true definition of a good parent!

  • Donna

    Our son is in his last year at a public elementary school, but we opted for it over homeschooling and other schools. It is the top-rated school in our county. We have loved it. However…. he will not be going to a public middle school. We are still trying to decide between a local christian school or a Montessori school, but it will be one or the other.

  • Yep, we always want the very best for our kids. I’ve never heard of a parochial school before.

  • I did think about private schools for a while but we have been blessed by really good public schools.

  • Mine is in a Catholic highschool. I went to catholic school my entire life and I thought it worked for me, it can work for him.

  • My kiddos go to a public school that is 3 blocks away. The same school me and my siblings went too. A few of the same teachers are still there too!

  • Penelope

    Wow, that is awesome! Do they remember you?

  • You are such a wonderful mother, giving them the best that you can give. And amazing how teachers or anyone OTHER than a parent knows so much more than a parent does according to our children LOL.

  • I would go with the well rated public school myself. That comes from knowing several families who were not pleased with the results after spending a near fortune sending their kids through expense parochial school & finding out the kids in public school were faring better getting into good colleges.

  • We had considered a private Christian school for our daughter when she was younger, but she ended up attending a magnet school for gifted learners through the public school system. When middle school arrived we were unhappy with that school and again considered the private school but we just couldn’t afford the tuition, which is when we decided to homeschool. It’s been a tough journey some days, but I think it turned out pretty well for us in the long run.

  • That’s great, Penelope! I’m sure it’s going to be a great experience.

  • We’re sending my oldest to the Christian preschool attached to our church right now but they don’t offer anything beyond preschool, so in the fall she’ll be attending public school. At the same time, my younger daughter will start at the same preschool. I trust and adore the teachers at the school so much, I know they’re both in good hands!