What You Need To Know When Choosing A Private School: SouthFlorida.com

This month, parents throughout South Florida will be checking out private schools, seeking the best possible school for their children. Since most private schools in the area start the enrollment process in January, parents will be visiting schools, collecting information, submitting applications and posting deposits.

Choosing a school is no easy feat these days, owing to the rapid proliferation of private schools here in Florida. According to the Florida Department of Education, for school year 2002-03, there were 2,108 nonpublic (including religious, nonreligious, military, nonprofit and proprietary) schools statewide last year, with 170 schools in Broward County, 131 in Palm Beach County and 389 in Miami-Dade County. The preceding year there were 1,992 nonpublic schools.

Demand is up for private education. Florida's nonpublic school enrollment has increased from 9.93 percent of the student population in the 1993-94 school year to 12.94 percent of the population in the 2002-03 school year. The choices seem endless in South Florida, with nearly 700 private schools, each with different principles and methods of teaching. How to choose? "It is important for parents to tailor their choice of private school to their individual child because private schools differ from one another even more than public schools do," says Anne Rambo, an associate professor of family therapy at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale and the author of the book I Know My Child Can Do Better!

"The consequences of a mismatch between school and child, or school and parents' values, can be even more severe with a private school than could happen with a public one," Rambo says.

Private Schools Defined

Under Florida law, private schools are classified along with religious schools as "nonpublic schools." Nonpublic elementary and secondary schools in Florida are not licensed, approved, accredited or regulated by the state; they are only required to make their existence known to the Department of Education and to respond to an annual survey.

The owners of Florida private schools are solely responsible for all aspects of their educational program, including teacher qualifications, curriculum, tuition, class size, student assessment, graduation or promotion requirements, student discipline and expulsion policies, and student records content and release. As a result, private schools vary widely in terms of curriculum, dress code, discipline, extracurricular activities and parental responsibilities.

Independent schools are nonreligious, nonpublic schools that are governed by boards of trustees and do not depend on tax dollars or church funds. Instead, they are primarily supported by tuition, charitable contributions and endowment income. Private schools include both day schools and boarding schools. Some, called "prep schools" or "preparatory schools," offer a college preparatory educational program.

Religious schools include those sponsored by churches, the Catholic archdiocese, synagogues or temples of both Jewish and Muslim faiths. They are supported by religious institutions as well as through tuition, contributions and endowments. There also are military schools and specialized schools for children with special needs.

Although Florida law does not require private schools to be accredited, parents should remember that most colleges and employers require an individual's high school diploma to be from an accredited school. The Decatur, Ga.- based Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredits over 12,000 public and private educational institutions, from prekindergarten through college, in 11 Southeastern states and Latin America. There are other accrediting agencies operating in Florida as well, including special accrediting board for certain religious schools. A list of all accredited schools is available on the Department of Education's web site.

Nonpublic School Basics

Although private schools vary widely, the following principles are common throughout South Florida:

The schools are not free. Private schools are pricey. According to the National Association of Independent Schools, tuition at its member day schools ranges from a few thousand dollars per year to over $10,000, and at boarding schools, the average tuition is approximately $20,000. Parents shouldn't be discouraged by the high tuition, however, because financial aid is available at many schools. "Parents need to inquire about financial aid with admissions directors because what they may think is unavailable to them oftentimes is available," says Michael Rossi, headmaster of The North Broward Preparatory Schools, which has campuses in Coconut Creek, Lighthouse Point and Coral Springs.

Rossi says that North Broward offers aid based on both financial need and academic merit. Tuition at the school ranges from $9,000 to $15,000 per year (not including preschool tuition).

Class sizes are small. Most South Florida schools cite student/teacher ratios of about 8 to 1, with a maximum of about 20 students per class. Public schools, on the other hand, have 26 to 28 students in the early grades and upwards of 30 in upper grades. The smaller the class size, the more individual attention the students get. "Fifteen is the largest class at our school," says David Scharlin of Coconut Grove, who sends his three school-age children to the Gordon Day School at Beth David Congregation in Miami. "The small overall school gives me the ability to become very involved with the operations and the board of the school." Tuition at the school ranges from $7,950 to $8,950 for synagogue members and $9,550 to $10,550 for nonmembers, says Susan Neimand, Ed.D., the school's director.

Values and morality are emphasized. Private schools use an "honor code" to define appropriate student behavior. "Our honor code is respect for self, respect for others, respect for your community and respect for academic work," Rossi says. The code is enforced by an honor council, and when a student is accused of an honor violation, he is judged by his peers.

Not all students are accepted. Admission to private schools is based on an entrance exam (or entrance assessment for younger students). Evaluations from prior teachers are required. * Discipline is tougher than at public schools. Since private schools are free from many of the state's school regulations, they can treat discipline problems differently than the public schools. Many have a zero-tolerance policy and will expel a student for behavior problems or drug use.

Are Private Schools for Everyone? Private school administrators emphasize that that their schools are not right for every child. Many private schools are ill equipped to handle the needs of special needs children, for example. And children who can't conform their behavior to the strict codes existing at many schools would not be welcome.

Some parents feel that private schools just aren't right for their children. Some feel they're too expensive. Others don't like the "snob appeal" of some private schools and prefer that their children be in a school environment where they mingle with students from all walks of life and various religions.

How to Choose a Private School for Your Child

Parents who ultimately opt for a private education need to compare schools carefully. "Before you go to the school, check its web site or literature to see the philosophy and the mission," Rossi says. "Then, when you visit the school, see if you can pick up cues as to how that philosophy is implemented."

Try to spend time in classrooms and at extracurricular activities. Speak with administrators, teachers, students and other parents to ensure that the particular program is right for your child. And make sure that the facilities are adequately maintained; some parents even check the bathrooms to make sure that they're clean.

Most schools do a great marketing job and have little trouble attracting new applicants. That's why parents need to become educated consumers. "Shop around," Rossi says. "Don't rely purely on what somebody tells you or what you think you know about a school. Really investigate the mission and values of the institution to make sure they're in sync with your mission as well."

Robyn A. Friedman is a freelance writer and mother. She lives in Boca Raton