Private School vs Public School

This website contains affiliate links and sponsored posts. A small commission is earned when you click and purchase via my affiliate links.

Private school vs. public school

Ahhh…the great debate.

I plan to jump in on this debate but not quite the way you think I will.  Let me start by saying I am personally a product of public schooling.  We can argue whether or not my school adequately prepared me for life, but I would like to think that most people would point to me and say, he did alright.  He is a little crazy, but he is alright.

This being said, I still decided to send my kid to private school.  You see, that is what happens.  Sometimes, when someone gets a little bit of money, they try to reinvent the wheel and send their kids to private school.  When one of my kids was old enough for the great school debate, I have to admit I was against private schooling from the beginning.  It was my wife who wanted my children to go to Catholic school.

I knew very little about Catholics let alone Catholic schools.  However, the argument for private schools was beautifully displayed in front of me when I said ‘I do’ and lifted her vail.  Needless to say, my wife is much more polished than me.  Other people who I have met that went to private school, seem to breeze through classes like it was nothing.  While they were out partying, I was busy still studying in my dorm room.  The only thing that separated me from all the other kids was that I will outwork anyone.

To hear it from my parents, ambition wasn’t a problem for me.  My smart mouth was a problem but motivating me to do something other than chores wasn’t a problem.

Knowing what I know, what do I pick?

Public or Private school?  Contrary to what you think, I say it depends. Here is a little fun fact about Armond Croom.  I am cheap.  If you told me that if I squeezed coal for 24 hours I could turn it into a diamond, I would do it.  My wife has to force me to buy clothes for myself. I literally hate spending money and I hate the idea of anyone buying me a gift for my birthday (other than wine, wine is good).  So, if I felt like I couldn’t afford to send my children to private school, without adequately doing the other things that I need to do financially, they would not be going.

YES!  I am sending my children to private school.

I am trying to figure out the perfect formula to develop my children in such a way, that they are polished and smart like my wife, but have my work ethic.  Disclaimer, I am not saying that my wife doesn’t have a work ethic.  I just think that my work ethic is 1/10^th more than hers.  My thought process is that if it is easier for them to pick up on certain topics, then they will be free to explore things at a deeper level.

I want my children to go farther than me.

But I do not think that a Private school outweighs a happy home.  Nor do I believe that if my children went to a public school they wouldn’t be as good. I am well aware of the fact that some of my friends who send their children to public school, will wind up making more money and maybe be even happier than my children.  Which means any real friend of my mine will be dancing in front of me because they didn’t have to pay for private school.  I am aware of this.

I have taken the risk assessments and know the statistics.  But if paying for a private school is going to cause you to not be able to live the kind of life you want to live, I will have to say pass.  You have to define the kind of life you want to live.  My definition of living your best life is the idea that you have yourself in a place where you are able to save for your future. It involves trying to put yourself in the best position in your work life, marriage life, and spend time with your children. If you aren’t able to do these things to your satisfaction then you should pass on private school.

You need to be honest with yourself on this too.

If you have a lot of credit card debt if you are not funding your 401K, and if you do not have 3 to 6 months in emergency savings in either your savings account or investments, you may not be able to afford private school.  Are these hitting home for you? Then you need to adjust your living standard or you need to take your kids out of private school.

If you can afford it, why not try private schooling for your kids?

If I were to tell you that putting your kid in private school could give them a leg up on life, why wouldn’t you do it?  Yes, a private school can be a lot of money.  However, if you look me in the eye and you say to me that financially you are investing enough to retire and are able to accomplish your non-retirement goals; then why wouldn’t you send your kids to private school?  Because it cost a lot of money?  Wait, you just said that you were on track for all your goals.  You are not trying to have all the money in the world.  You are just trying to have a secure future.  If you are a parent, ultimately you want your kids to achieve everything that THEY want to achieve.

It depends on you and your family.

If it is going to call stress in your family, regardless, of whether or not you can afford, I will say pass.  Your connection to your spouse and children is more powerful than any school.  But if you can still stay engaged and not stressed out about sending your children to a private school or a certain overpriced private school, then I say go for it but only if you truly can afford it.

Photo by Element5 Digital