Public vs. Parochial vs. Private - STX

Melissa: I hope that you have been reading the virginislandsdailynews.com and onepaper.com for news about the VI. In the paper this week there have been multiple issues at the public schools. Perhaps some of it related to students trying to get out of finals, but also a disturbing brawl at a junior high on St Croix. Until the Education governor fixes some basic things in Education, public schools, especially middle and high schools are in trouble.

And I do not think that every student in the schools is bad. It is the system that allows a few ruin things for the majority.

When I looked into the Parochial schools for my sons 2-1/2 years ago when we moved here, they were about half the price of the major private schools. My sons would have had to go to different schools though, and that made getting them to class on time a bit too complicated and they wound up at Good Hope. Another option for lower level students is Free Will Baptist. I've had very positive feedback from families about their children's experiences there. They are also much less expensive than Country Day or Good Hope. The Montessori school and A to Z Academy are others for you to talk to. An alternate high school option is the Manor School. Their sports programs suffer due to their smaller size than some of the other private schools, but the education seems to be good.

When you look at the cost of the private schools, also take into account the fact that your graduate will likely get accepted to a fabulous college and possibly with a great scholarship... and that this opportunity in life would probably not come their way if they were still in a mainland high school or in a public high school in the islands. You may pay more for high school here... but the savings and quality of college opportunity that comes next is often priceless.

My 19 year old is in a college program he would never have been accepted to if we had still been living in Washington State when he graduated from Good Hope. He nearly got to go to the U.S.Air Force Academy, but some childhood medical records that couldn't be produced in time unfortunately prevented that from happening. There are many opportunities available to graduates in the islands that most mainland graduates can only fantasize about qualifying for. The U.S. military academies are included, and other top universities also are required to admit a certain number of "disadvantaged students" each year... and graduates in the USVI qualify. Most years, graduates of Country Day and Good Hope have students who attend universities such as Stanford and Harvard and Johns Hopkins and Loyola and Brown and Cambridge and Yale, etc. There are many other smaller, but quality universities also chosen by local graduates. The bottom line is that it is a very rare graduate from one of the private high schools on STX who does NOT continue on to college. On the mainland, it is a small percentage of graduates who continue!

I can attest to that. I was born and raised on STX and went to Good Hope. I ended up attending Brown University (and was accepted at 13 other schools including Columbia and Penn) studying Computer Science and am now working in an internship at Microsoft! Private schools on STX are definitely a good investment, because it will definitely pay off in the future.

East Ender and Alexandra, thank you both for your valuable insight into education on the islands. I've pretty much ruled out the public school system. I have my research cut out for me to figure out which private/parochial school my children will attend. And as you pointed out Alexandra, the logistics of getting the kids to school has to be considered. I've got to figure out which ones are nearest my house and my work. We will be living above the Botanical Gardens in St. George and I will be working at the Hospital. I've got time though, it's not like they're starting this August. I've got at least a year to figure it all out.

All the best,
Melissa

neighbors of mine who moved to STX from the states when their kids were young (or not yet born) sent their kids to the catholic schools--they all got scholarships to good stateside colleges, one to a service academy. Now one is a nurse, one a CPA, one has a PHD, the others high in the business world. Friends now seem pleased with the pre-K at St Marys.

MelissaS,

This quote from Alexandra is priceless:

"When you look at the cost of the private schools, also take into account the fact that your graduate will likely get accepted to a fabulous college and possibly with a great scholarship... and that this opportunity in life would probably not come their way if they were still in a mainland high school or in a public high school in the islands. You may pay more for high school here... but the savings and quality of college opportunity that comes next is often priceless"

I worked at Country Day school for a number of years, and I can tell you she is right on the money. I have often tried to tell parents this very same thing.

This year, Country Day School students racked up over three million dollars in scholarship offers. This is for a graduating class of less than thirty. The school deliberatly keeps the class sizes down they believe in small classes. There have been students who have received full scholarships to MIT in past years. It is absolutely amazing what they do as far as getting kids into top colleges.

Country Day has a very low turnover rate for faculty and administration. Many faculty have been there for decades.

At the end of the school year when the public school students are fighting, Country Day students are engaged in "Orange/White Day" activities, a sort of year-end release of energy into games and sportsmanship. The students are generally hugging each other, not fighting. It is a very peaceful school.

You may pay 10K a year, but your child will get scholarship offers if he/she studies. 10K a year is nothing compared to 45K a year for a good university. It is an investment in your chid's future.

I don't want to sound like a commercial for the school, but I was really impressed with it during my tenure there. Good Hope School is just as good.

My child is a grad. of Country Day - it is definitely a college prep. school. The old adage of 'you get wht you pay for' is very true.
Look at the test scores, college admission rates etc of the parochial schools. They are probably more than satisfactory.
Your child will only get these school years once - there is no do-over. If I could not afford a good school for my child on the island -I would not bring them down there. It is that simple.