Benefits of 7 Choosing a Private School The School year has been everything but familiar or smooth and local students are in a variety of schooling environments; some schools follow a HyFlex model, some remain fully virtual and some have been largely face-to-face since August. As families continue to ride the roller coaster of changes, many parents are exploring what other educational options they have. In early August, 56 San Diego County schools requested waivers from San Diego’s Health & Human Services Agency that would allow them to reopen; all but five were private schools. As these schools announced plans to return face-to-face, it caught the attention of some parents who wish they had explored this option sooner. For those who are still weighing educational options for your kids, I’m offering the lowdown on private schools 18 • SanDiegofamily.com • February 2021
as an educator, parent of two and former private school teacher.
Dr. Jenny Pieratt
There are many benefits to choosing a private school education, including but not limited to:
KNOW YOUR OPTIONS
Enrollment
There is no shortage of private school options in San Diego County. In 2019 there were 316 private schools, (typically preschool-8th grade). Roughly half are secular (not religious) and include Montessori, alternative, or special education, while the other half are religious-based schools (Christian, Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, etc.).
There are typically fewer students in each grade level and smaller class sizes in private schools. This tends to be important in primary grades when students learn literacy skills, and at the secondary level (middle and high schools) where the alternative is large, comprehensive schools. The student-toteacher ratio ranges from 14:1 to 16:1, compared to the San Diego Unified and California average ratio of 23:1. “As a public school teacher, moving my child to private school was a difficult decision,” says Elizabeth Anglin, parent at Saint John School
