5 Things Public & Private Schools Don't Want You To Know

Deciding on the best school for your child can be a daunting task that can change the course of a child's future. When selecting a school, it's important to look beyond the façade of well-decorated bulletin boards and pedigrees. There are a few things that many schools don't want you to know, which can make or break your decision-making process.

1. High Costs of Before and After School Care. Many private and public schools offer before and after school care; however, it comes at a high cost to working parents. Public schools have after school clubs that can add hundreds of dollars each month to a family's monthly responsibilities. Unfortunately, many with before school care do not open in the morning until 7:00 a.m. This is especially critical for parents with early work hours or long commutes. Candis Murawski, Head of School at Folsom Preparatory School, offers this advice: "Always check the institutions before and after school programs for cost, hours of operation, transportation and their daily schedule. Many programs combine children of all ages and may not have a dedicated quiet time for students to work on their homework." Murawski adds that Folsom Prep offers before and after school programs from as early as 6:30 a.m to as late as 6:00 p.m. "Our goal is to provide parents with a safe place for their children. Our students have a structured afternoon which includes study hall, so families can spend more time together in the evenings, while knowing their children are well cared for. Before and after school care at Folsom Prep is included in the cost of our monthly tuition so there are no additional costs for parents."

2. Hidden Costs. Murawski adds that there are many hidden costs with public and private schools that require parents to delve into their wallets on a weekly basis. This means paying for fundraisers, school supplies, or even field trips. These fees can add hundreds of dollars and hours to an already burdened household. Plus, many schools have mandatory volunteer parent hours- a cost that may mean taking time off work or sacrificing already limited family time. Folsom Preparatory School welcomes parent volunteers but does not require a certain number of hours per family nor do parents have to pay extra for field trips or school supplies.

3. Child Care during long Holiday Recesses and Summer. Nothing is more frustrating to an employer or disruptive to a family than having to find short-term care on long holidays, at the end of summer or during no-school/teacher in-service days. Murawski states that Folsom Prep offers more days than other private and public schools. Folsom Prep is open more days during the school year and summer combined. For example, even on non-academic days such as Thanksgiving break, Winter break, or Spring break, Folsom Prep is open for childcare- more than 15 days of additional care than other schools just during the academic year alone.

4. Smaller Class Size. Nothing is more frustrating to an employer or disruptive to a family than having to find short-term care on long holidays, at the end of summer or during no-school/teacher in-service days. Murawski states that Folsom Prep offers more days than other private and public schools. Folsom Prep is open more days during the school year and summer combined. For example, even on non-academic days such as Thanksgiving break, Winter break, or Spring break, Folsom Prep is open for childcare- more than 15 days of additional care than other schools just during the academic year alone.

5. More Instructional Minutes. Most important is the amount of time your child spends in school considering the increasingly competitive collegiate atmosphere. "Public and private schools don't offer as many minutes of instruction as Folsom Prep." In Kindergarten alone, Folsom Prep offers 118% MORE instructional minutes than other local schools -- that's almost 716 more hours per school year. "That equates to almost two more months of learning than Folsom Cordova Schools."

Bottom Line. Adds Murawski, "Look at the hidden costs of public and private schools as well as the level of education your children are receiving. Add up the costs of hidden fees including before/after school care, holiday care, field trips, school supplies, and volunteer hours. Suddenly a private school, like Folsom Prep, that provides everything plus more instructional hours and smaller learning environments is not only affordable but advantageous."

For more information, contact Candis Murawski, Head of School at Folsom Prep at (916) 353-0185. Classes for the Fall session are forming now, so call today.