Public vs Private schools in STX

private schools run about 10,000-13,000 per year per child

IMO, yes, they're really that bad and some a bit better than others. The private schools are generally on par with better public and charter schools on the mainland. Not great, but the only real choice if you're not of the majority here. I'm told the cost of private schooling may come down a bit next year as the island adjusts to the lost of the oil refinery. On-line schooling is becoming more common here for these reasons...ie: public school not a viable option and private school very expensive.

I'm told the cost of private schooling may come down a bit next year as the island adjusts to the lost of the oil refinery.

I'm confused as to this logic since Hovensa/Hess has been a major financial contributor to private schools.

I'm told the cost of private schooling may come down a bit next year as the island adjusts to the lost of the oil refinery.

I'm confused as to this logic since Hovensa/Hess has been a major financial contributor to private schools.

I'm guessing through consolidation, which is pretty much a done deal? Fewer kids, fewer teachers, fewer people to pay $11K a year for kindergarten? So they drop rates slightly because of the cost savings of having to only fund and equip one school?

Just guessing. I ain't got a dog in that fight.

Thanks for the info. I'm not certain if on-line school would be an option for us. I work long shift work and my husbands first language is Sicilian. The kids would benefit best from a structured environment. I will check into some of the private schools. I hope they have multi-student discounts for families with two or more kids.

i dont think they used to have discounts, who knows things may change now

I moved to st croix a few months ago from the states. I work in the public school system with the special ed department.Love my job, love the island but.....the public schools are culturally "different".
My two younger kids attend public elementary. My 13 year old attends Manor, a smaller private school, 12 students in her age group. So far, we really like manor and is a little more affordable at around $8,000 annually and they offer athletic and academic scholarships and discounts for additional siblings attending.
PM me if you would like more info regarding schools. Many private school options available.

HI. When I came here I was home schooling my kids for a while. I tried to find the home schooling community, which is huge here, but I ultimately put my kids in Good Hope School after checking out all the schools, public and private. I think Good Hope is the best. It's a tragedy that the public schools are not good. I did check them out. They seem to be nice and kids are pleasant, but I really would hesitate to send them to public.

Good Hope School has a tuition freeze for next year so that should help! They have a great theatre and the school musical of Hairspray is coming in March!

I Googled for you and found tons of schools offering home schooling. I came up with k12.

www.k12.com

good luck in your search

Here's a link which will tell you the basics required by the VI Department of Education:

http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/RegPrivSchl/virginis.html

I've investigated k12 online school for my child and know STX kids who are enrolled. Its a very good alternative and everyone I have spoken to who is involved with it raves about it. The drawback is that one needs to be prepared to work more closely with the student, which wouldnt be a problem for me since junior can spend the day at my business with a desk, computer and access to all needed resources. This arrangement obviously doesnt work for everyone.

I believe a good portion of a students day is wasted in traditional schools. Kids enrolled in online schools tend to be more independent and finish high school at an excelerated rate.

Good day!The Kingshill School may be an option for you.You mentioned that you needed a school that could meet the special needs of your children.If they have a learning disability,we specialize in small classes[teacher-student ratio 1-5students] and individualized instruction.Tuition is under $10,000.00.
Check us out Kingshillschool.org
Good luck!!

Good Hope (not sure about Country Day) has sent out a survey asking families if they plan to enroll their children next fall and if they'll require financial aid...it's my understanding that this will help solidify plans for next year in terms of tuition, class size, etc. I know there's been talk of the two schools merging, but that's probably worst case scenario.