Anyone plan on public HS after private Es and/or MS?

[Anonymous]

For a variety of reasons, we would like for our kids to go to public high school. Our zoned school is strong, and there are also specialty/magnet programs if they are interested. However, we think we would like for them to attend a private/parochial K-8, at least through 5th but likely through 8th grade. If you have gone this route, did it work out okay for your child? Was the transition very difficult?

[Anonymous]

People do this from our k-8 all the time. Smart kids who thrive in public.

[Anonymous]

Many families at our K-8 are planning on attending public schools. In most cases, it was their plan from the outset.

[Anonymous]

One of my kids went that route. The transition was quite easy despite going from a very small K-8 to a very large high school (25 to 550 in the grade). Our public school is a top school and the academic experience there was very good.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is the type of kid who can handle going to a large school, there are no academic concerns that require accommodations you could only reliably get at private school, and your kid does reasonably well socially, your kid will be fine. We are at a K-8 that routinely sends kids to public HS. That said, you need to see where your child is by 7/8th grade and, after K-8 private you may find you don't want to give up the perks that come with private school. We had planned to go public for HS and all three DCs ended up staying in private (some because of the Covid situation, others because we really could not see them doing well in a huge school).

[Anonymous]

DS very unhappy at his small private of 8 years. Switch to public high school was best decision ever. Has great group of friends. Thriving in large school environment.

[Anonymous]

We will be applying to magnet high schools next year. I think private served my kid well, but right now we are feeling that it is not worth the cost -- for us, at this specific school -- to continue through high school.

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader is at a K-8 and we plan for public for HS. I’m
A bit nervous about the large class sizes but I think DD will be ok.

[Anonymous]

We did public elementary k-3, then switched to Catholic school 4-8, the back to public high school.

It worked out well. We met neighborhood families in public, my kids met more friends in private and sheltered them a bit in those middle school years. They also learned good study habits and responsibility. Then back to public high school. We supplemented math 4-8 so they would be on a high math track.

[Anonymous]

We are thinking about the same route, since my kid is interested in math and stem things. She’s also an athlete, is public middle/ high school better for athletes? Since they have way more kids to form the teams?

She is very fun, social and has strong personality, ok with strict but very nice teachers. will she thrive in Mclean Hs pyramid?

[Anonymous]

Many kids from our k-8 do this - some planned from the start - some didn't. Some go to zoned public with strong district, some go to magnet. I have never heard of any student having trouble academically or socially. Presumably, this is because their parents knew their child well enough (Or in other words - I am not saying every child at our private would necessarily have zero problem with a large public HS - just that the ones that did go had no problems).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader is at a K-8 and we plan for public for HS. I’m
A bit nervous about the large class sizes but I think DD will be ok.

Same here. I know of at least 3 other families in DD's (small) class with similar plans, although we are all zoned for different publics.

[Anonymous]

We're at a K-8 (not in DMV) where this is the norm. Probably 80% of the graduates go to public high schools.

[Anonymous]

At the Parochial schools I am familiar in the west of Montgomery County, the overwhelming majority of kids go onto Catholic high schools including Good Counsel, St Johns, Gonzaga, Prep, Stone Ridge, Visitation, Holy Cross, etc., etc.

All though the eighth grade year, there is conversation and excitement among the kids and parents concerning who will go to which of these schools.

A small fraction of kids go to the public schools. Sometime the reasons for this is financial, sometimes it’s academics and sometimes it’s family preference. I’ve wondered if it’s difficult for these kids with all their friends going in a different direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is the type of kid who can handle going to a large school, there are no academic concerns that require accommodations you could only reliably get at private school, and your kid does reasonably well socially, your kid will be fine. We are at a K-8 that routinely sends kids to public HS. That said, you need to see where your child is by 7/8th grade and, after K-8 private you may find you don't want to give up the perks that come with private school. We had planned to go public for HS and all three DCs ended up staying in private (some because of the Covid situation, others because we really could not see them doing well in a huge school).

Nothing you wrote is a perk of private

Accommodations are better in public as are math and science and college admissions