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[quote=Anonymous]Chicago has a unique system of "selective admissions schools" that start right from kindergarten. If you are fortunate enough to get your kids into such a program it may not be necessary to utilize private schools BUT there are very large numbers of applicants for a relatively tiny number of slots, together with a narrow window of application, and criteria including where you live and what you earn, so it is far from easy to plan on this option.

Depending on the kind of school your kids go to, and how many kids you have, it can be exhausting dealing with the need to get your kids to schools on opposite sides of the city. For people lucky enough to get their kids into top public schools in Chicago the payoff might include a very real shot at a scholarship to a highly selective school.

The downside is that for folks that do make it into the selective admissions CPS options the city high schools are notoriously undesirable. Private school can cost nearly as much as college, if you have two or more kids that are in private high school it is an insane budget buster!

Funny thing, with excellent rail transportation there are many nice suburbs that make it just as fast to get to a job in the Loop as you would face commuting via CTA from many parts of the city. The relatively compact layout of the whole region means it is pretty easy to take advantage of museums and cultural opportunities in Chicago from any well located suburb. In most suburbs your housing dollar will go farther, especially when you factor in things like an actual backyard kids can play in, park districts that offer sports and after school programs, very high level of safety and excellent quality of life.

There are several suburbs with highly walkable layout where kids can and do walk to local shops, restaurants, parks and schools with far less concern for their safety than they do in even the nicest parts of the city. The number of city neighborhoods where any school aged child could be expected to make it unaccompanied around a similar radius is quite small.[/quote]

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