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My husband and I always wanted to have our kids enrolled in a catholic school.  It is more expensive? yes . but is worth it. Anyway, in my opinion.. going to a private school doesn't make a difference if the family is not involve.  Children need attencion whether going to a private or a public school. Personaly, I see a big difference in the way my kid behave cpmpared to his friends in public school.
it doesn't have to be so expensive. you can go to a parish school ( in case you are catholic) and  enjoy the feeling your child going to a private school without getting broken.
I vote private.

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What did you decide?

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Henry, I have some experience with this issue.Basically, our experience (with three children going through various combinations of public and private elementary, high school and college) is that it's worth it. We did have the unexpected advantage that our children were spaced years apart, which has helped quite a bit with spreading the expense over many years.  When our eldest daughter was a preteen, and beginning to get into trouble (cutting school, etc.) we enrolled her in a local parochial school.  She threatened to run away, citing the school uniform as a special grievance, but we persisted, feeling that if she continued as she was headed, she might not even finish high school, much less college, and that it'd be money well spent.  She loved it from day one, and was elected a class officer the first week (and subsequently had a complete and happy education.)  When our son was ready for school, the local public schools were in particularly poor shape, and we found a private school system (Waldorf) that we liked right away.  Although he was a poor student in the early years, he matured well and entered university on an honors track.  Our youngest, after 14 years at our local Waldorf school and high school, just completed a hugely expensive private college career which we will be paying for for quite a while, delaying our retirement to do so.  Although some might say its a huge sacrifice, we've felt that the rich education they've received is our great gift to them, and that it's been well worth it.  All three are happy, well-adjusted and contributing adults, and we know that they've valued their educations as well. Good luck!

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That is a tough question.  I went to public schools and unfortunately, I did see that the children in nearby private schools were getting a better education -- more resources, better teachers, more attention, etc.  However, it really does depend on where you live -- some states/districts boast public schools that exceed private schools in the area in academic excellence. It's definitely worth it to do research in your area to see the academic records of your public versus private schools -- school counselors can help, as could your state's department of education. In fact, my brother recently bought a house partly because it was in such a great public school district!

In the end, I do think that well-prepared students have a greater edge in college admissions.  And even though college is expensive, going to a great high school may make all the difference in terms of winning scholarships and other financial aid.

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Henry - I've got both a personal and professional opinion.Personally, I'm a big believer in trying out the local neighborhood school where young children are in walking distance to their friends and in their local community.  I've decided to do this for my son who is entering Kindergarten.  As I get to know the school and my son better, I might turn toward private education. You can always consider private education at the Middle or High School stage when your child's abilities and interests have evolved and thinking about college becomes more important.  And, you can re-evaluate your financial situation at that time. Professionally, data and expert opinion point to parental involvement as the key ingredient in life long success, love of learning, and child well-being.  So, whether you opt for private or public education, your concern and involvement will always be there.

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Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences. I am leaning towards trying out the local public school as Denise suggests for at least the first couple of years to see if it's a good fit, and it will also buy time for us to save up a little more money to prepare for the financial hit.
I know that a lot of other important factors like parental involvement can make a bigger difference than the public/private issue, and I hope to follow the good example that my parents and extended family set for me when I was a young child.
I'm glad to hear that Valerie was able to make adjustments even in the teenage years to keep her kids on track.
It should be an interesting 13 years ahead.

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Henry
I can feel your pain. I live in a large city, where the public school resources are stretched very thin, I had my oldest son in a private high school, and after 2 years the transfered back to our local public school, where his brother was attending.
Public neighborhood schools at elementary and middle level were decent with parental involvement high, but once you get to the high school level, everything changes dramatically.
The difference in the quality of education is so dramatic it can make you wonder what else can possibly go wrong. We have to constantly moniter the teachers. My son switched because he wanted to participate in sports and the private school had a nationally ranked program in his sport.
 
As a parent it's a hard choice, but I am sure you will make the right decision for your son. So far, we are fine with our decision, but the jury is still out.
brian

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I agree that it depends on where you live. I went to private school as a child but now my daughter is in public school and it's a great school. The local private/parochial schools are seeing a decline in enrollments because they do not seem to have the same level of resources and experienced teachers as the local public schools. You just have to investigate your school of choice ahead of time and if possible talk to other parents who have kids there.

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depending where you live. The primary years are too important to be lost. If the public school in your area is not good, send your child to private school. Here what I did, I sent the children to  an excellent private primary school. Then  they went for one year (9th grade to a Prep School (Public). In High School, they were enrolled only in Honor classes. They finished with 18 College credits and that was a big plus for me as well as the children. The Primary school years in the Public System can be easily wasted because the instructors have to deal mostly with ill behavior.

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