Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve been saving our tax returns for years in anticipation of the high school expense. We had three kids in five years.

What does this mean? You don't file?

I assume it means refund. Calm down. You know what it means.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the parents floss like they are paying for all of this on their own. Really their own mommy and daddy are paying for it. We have a family like this at our school. The mom went to college but doesn’t work and the dad did not work and is a solidly blue collar worker. Their house is in the mom’s parent’s name and the mom’s parents also pay tuition for the children. This family is applying to all of the same high schools the rest of us are and I presume the wife’s parents are going to foot the bill. The kid thinks she is rich and is always bragging about things her parents give her, vacations, etc. but it is all funded by the grandparents.

Aren’t you charming?

I am, actually. Very. People have no idea what information is available to the public. I can even determine if you have a loan or line of credit against your house. So when people put on pretenses when they are talking to me and their story doesn’t add up, I’m able to compare what they’re saying to the publicly available information and then make a determination of that person’s character and more importantly, his/her veracity. Maybe we know each other?

My parents pay for part of my kids’ Catholic school tuition. They both went to a dozen years of Catholic schools themselves and think that’s really important for their own grandchildren, which has been wonderful. I don’t tell everyone at our school that my parents pay tuition, like all the rest of our personal information I don’t share all of our business with everyone. I share as little as possible with people who are judgmental about a child who is excited about her family’s vacations, I wouldn’t want any kid to be made to feel ashamed about their family finances and I hope everyone can enjoy a family vacation without judgment. What exactly are they teaching at your Catholic school?

Anonymous wrote:We’ve been saving our tax returns for years in anticipation of the high school expense. We had three kids in five years.

What does this mean? You don't file?

We are Catholic and have 4 kids. Some of our kids go to Catholic high school for $30k and some go to/went to big3 high schools for $50k+. We pay without help from grandparents. A lot of people make more money than you realize. Also, plenty of families with 4 kids at both Big3 and Catholic schools.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of these people have family help, but don’t admit it.

+1 My friend has 4 kids in Catholic school along with all their many cousins. The wealthy grandparents pay for all of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve 3 children currently attending our local parochial. Tuition is ~10k per year per child. It’s a do-able expense for our family, but we certainly notice it and have to be quite careful with discretionary spending. I’ve noticed that the majority of families have 3-4 kids, with
graduating 8th graders that go on to local Catholic high schools. Tuition is now in the 30-35k range for these schools!

How are these families affording this for multiple children?? Many, ours included, will have two children in high school at the same time. That’s a 40k increase in tuition! I’ve never felt that we are in a drastically different financial situation than the majority of the school, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Do the high schools give financial aid when families have younger children still in parochial?
My children love our school but part of me wonders if I should pull to public sooner than later before they get their hearts set on a Catholic high school.

You know several families with 4? That does not seem very common to me these days, though 3 is certainly not unusual. They afford it by income, family help, or financial aid from the schools. The bad thing is that it can take away from what you could save for college.

How common it is to go to public high schools will depend on the Catholic grade schools. At the wealthier K-8 schools, it may be somewhat rare to take the public school route. I wouldn't necessarily pull them out of Catholic grade school but would, as a PP stated, set the expectation that they will be attending a public high school.

At our Catholic school, 4 and more kids is very common. Many can afford it bc of the Catholic and sibling discounts. Free after the 3rd kid. There are also a number of families with grandparents helping, lots of educators in Catholic schools and universities who I assume get discounts. Most go Catholic high schools, presumably financed by grandparents, educator discounts and/or financial aid.

I do not see 4 a lot and especially not more than 4 -- with the exception of very conservative, traditional parishes that would not be considered "mainstream."

Back to topic, though. While some leave for public high schools, the opposite is also true. Some (both Catholic and non-Catholic) go to public schools K-8 and then spend money on Catholic high schools.

Interesting! Which is best for kids? I have 3 as well and I want them to have a Catholic education but can’t afford all 12 Years x 3. Should I do K-8 or highschool? Which transition parochial to public or public to parochial is best for kids?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the parents floss like they are paying for all of this on their own. Really their own mommy and daddy are paying for it. We have a family like this at our school. The mom went to college but doesn’t work and the dad did not work and is a solidly blue collar worker. Their house is in the mom’s parent’s name and the mom’s parents also pay tuition for the children. This family is applying to all of the same high schools the rest of us are and I presume the wife’s parents are going to foot the bill. The kid thinks she is rich and is always bragging about things her parents give her, vacations, etc. but it is all funded by the grandparents.

Aren’t you charming?

I am, actually. Very. People have no idea what information is available to the public. I can even determine if you have a loan or line of credit against your house. So when people put on pretenses when they are talking to me and their story doesn’t add up, I’m able to compare what they’re saying to the publicly available information and then make a determination of that person’s character and more importantly, his/her veracity. Maybe we know each other?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve 3 children currently attending our local parochial. Tuition is ~10k per year per child. It’s a do-able expense for our family, but we certainly notice it and have to be quite careful with discretionary spending. I’ve noticed that the majority of families have 3-4 kids, with
graduating 8th graders that go on to local Catholic high schools. Tuition is now in the 30-35k range for these schools!

How are these families affording this for multiple children?? Many, ours included, will have two children in high school at the same time. That’s a 40k increase in tuition! I’ve never felt that we are in a drastically different financial situation than the majority of the school, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Do the high schools give financial aid when families have younger children still in parochial?
My children love our school but part of me wonders if I should pull to public sooner than later before they get their hearts set on a Catholic high school.

You know several families with 4? That does not seem very common to me these days, though 3 is certainly not unusual. They afford it by income, family help, or financial aid from the schools. The bad thing is that it can take away from what you could save for college.

How common it is to go to public high schools will depend on the Catholic grade schools. At the wealthier K-8 schools, it may be somewhat rare to take the public school route. I wouldn't necessarily pull them out of Catholic grade school but would, as a PP stated, set the expectation that they will be attending a public high school.

At our Catholic school, 4 and more kids is very common. Many can afford it bc of the Catholic and sibling discounts. Free after the 3rd kid. There are also a number of families with grandparents helping, lots of educators in Catholic schools and universities who I assume get discounts. Most go Catholic high schools, presumably financed by grandparents, educator discounts and/or financial aid.

I do not see 4 a lot and especially not more than 4 -- with the exception of very conservative, traditional parishes that would not be considered "mainstream."

Back to topic, though. While some leave for public high schools, the opposite is also true. Some (both Catholic and non-Catholic) go to public schools K-8 and then spend money on Catholic high schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve 3 children currently attending our local parochial. Tuition is ~10k per year per child. It’s a do-able expense for our family, but we certainly notice it and have to be quite careful with discretionary spending. I’ve noticed that the majority of families have 3-4 kids, with
graduating 8th graders that go on to local Catholic high schools. Tuition is now in the 30-35k range for these schools!

How are these families affording this for multiple children?? Many, ours included, will have two children in high school at the same time. That’s a 40k increase in tuition! I’ve never felt that we are in a drastically different financial situation than the majority of the school, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Do the high schools give financial aid when families have younger children still in parochial?
My children love our school but part of me wonders if I should pull to public sooner than later before they get their hearts set on a Catholic high school.

You know several families with 4? That does not seem very common to me these days, though 3 is certainly not unusual. They afford it by income, family help, or financial aid from the schools. The bad thing is that it can take away from what you could save for college.

How common it is to go to public high schools will depend on the Catholic grade schools. At the wealthier K-8 schools, it may be somewhat rare to take the public school route. I wouldn't necessarily pull them out of Catholic grade school but would, as a PP stated, set the expectation that they will be attending a public high school.

At our Catholic school, 4 and more kids is very common. Many can afford it bc of the Catholic and sibling discounts. Free after the 3rd kid. There are also a number of families with grandparents helping, lots of educators in Catholic schools and universities who I assume get discounts. Most go Catholic high schools, presumably financed by grandparents, educator discounts and/or financial aid.

Are parents commonly speaking about how their parents (the grandparents) are paying the tuition? Not something I would necessarily want to speak openly about , though to each their own, I guess.

At our school, it’s not common nor is it uncommon. When it’s been shared with me, it’s in the context of letting us know that they are not well off, ie, they wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise. Some also have told me that the grandparents insist on their grandkids going to the school and were willing to pay for it.

Anonymous wrote:Many of the parents floss like they are paying for all of this on their own. Really their own mommy and daddy are paying for it. We have a family like this at our school. The mom went to college but doesn’t work and the dad did not work and is a solidly blue collar worker. Their house is in the mom’s parent’s name and the mom’s parents also pay tuition for the children. This family is applying to all of the same high schools the rest of us are and I presume the wife’s parents are going to foot the bill. The kid thinks she is rich and is always bragging about things her parents give her, vacations, etc. but it is all funded by the grandparents.

Aren’t you charming?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve 3 children currently attending our local parochial. Tuition is ~10k per year per child. It’s a do-able expense for our family, but we certainly notice it and have to be quite careful with discretionary spending. I’ve noticed that the majority of families have 3-4 kids, with
graduating 8th graders that go on to local Catholic high schools. Tuition is now in the 30-35k range for these schools!

How are these families affording this for multiple children?? Many, ours included, will have two children in high school at the same time. That’s a 40k increase in tuition! I’ve never felt that we are in a drastically different financial situation than the majority of the school, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Do the high schools give financial aid when families have younger children still in parochial?
My children love our school but part of me wonders if I should pull to public sooner than later before they get their hearts set on a Catholic high school.

You know several families with 4? That does not seem very common to me these days, though 3 is certainly not unusual. They afford it by income, family help, or financial aid from the schools. The bad thing is that it can take away from what you could save for college.

How common it is to go to public high schools will depend on the Catholic grade schools. At the wealthier K-8 schools, it may be somewhat rare to take the public school route. I wouldn't necessarily pull them out of Catholic grade school but would, as a PP stated, set the expectation that they will be attending a public high school.

At our Catholic school, 4 and more kids is very common. Many can afford it bc of the Catholic and sibling discounts. Free after the 3rd kid. There are also a number of families with grandparents helping, lots of educators in Catholic schools and universities who I assume get discounts. Most go Catholic high schools, presumably financed by grandparents, educator discounts and/or financial aid.

Are parents commonly speaking about how their parents (the grandparents) are paying the tuition? Not something I would necessarily want to speak openly about , though to each their own, I guess.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve 3 children currently attending our local parochial. Tuition is ~10k per year per child. It’s a do-able expense for our family, but we certainly notice it and have to be quite careful with discretionary spending. I’ve noticed that the majority of families have 3-4 kids, with
graduating 8th graders that go on to local Catholic high schools. Tuition is now in the 30-35k range for these schools!

How are these families affording this for multiple children?? Many, ours included, will have two children in high school at the same time. That’s a 40k increase in tuition! I’ve never felt that we are in a drastically different financial situation than the majority of the school, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Do the high schools give financial aid when families have younger children still in parochial?
My children love our school but part of me wonders if I should pull to public sooner than later before they get their hearts set on a Catholic high school.

You know several families with 4? That does not seem very common to me these days, though 3 is certainly not unusual. They afford it by income, family help, or financial aid from the schools. The bad thing is that it can take away from what you could save for college.

How common it is to go to public high schools will depend on the Catholic grade schools. At the wealthier K-8 schools, it may be somewhat rare to take the public school route. I wouldn't necessarily pull them out of Catholic grade school but would, as a PP stated, set the expectation that they will be attending a public high school.

At our Catholic school, 4 and more kids is very common. Many can afford it bc of the Catholic and sibling discounts. Free after the 3rd kid. There are also a number of families with grandparents helping, lots of educators in Catholic schools and universities who I assume get discounts. Most go Catholic high schools, presumably financed by grandparents, educator discounts and/or financial aid.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve 3 children currently attending our local parochial. Tuition is ~10k per year per child. It’s a do-able expense for our family, but we certainly notice it and have to be quite careful with discretionary spending. I’ve noticed that the majority of families have 3-4 kids, with
graduating 8th graders that go on to local Catholic high schools. Tuition is now in the 30-35k range for these schools!

How are these families affording this for multiple children?? Many, ours included, will have two children in high school at the same time. That’s a 40k increase in tuition! I’ve never felt that we are in a drastically different financial situation than the majority of the school, but perhaps I’m wrong?
Do the high schools give financial aid when families have younger children still in parochial?
My children love our school but part of me wonders if I should pull to public sooner than later before they get their hearts set on a Catholic high school.

You know several families with 4? That does not seem very common to me these days, though 3 is certainly not unusual. They afford it by income, family help, or financial aid from the schools. The bad thing is that it can take away from what you could save for college.

How common it is to go to public high schools will depend on the Catholic grade schools. At the wealthier K-8 schools, it may be somewhat rare to take the public school route. I wouldn't necessarily pull them out of Catholic grade school but would, as a PP stated, set the expectation that they will be attending a public high school.

This is a very interesting thread because in reality so many of us are in the same boat. We have 3 kids in our local parochial school. Their HS is Langley and that’s our plan due to cost.
We love everything about parochial schools: the community, the values, the uniforms and the learning environment for kids with teachers who actually are devoted to teaching and care. However, the cost will catch up to us in HS.
For those who did end up sending parochial to public HS, how was that transition?

Kids go from parochial (Parish) and Independent K8’s to public high schools all the time. Every year in every class in every Catholic school some do this. Depending on the school and the year, this ranges from a few to several to quite a few.

The kids don’t anything of it. Neither do the parents.

Kids headed to different Catholic high schools don’t suddenly become the rivals they will be in a year or so. People “get it”! That you’ve shared the K8 experience is enough for them.

Those heading to the Catholic high schools are excited about their choice. But neither the kids of the parents say anything or for that matter think anything about it. It’s not some sort of rare occurrence.

We’ve had three kids go through this transition and watched scores of other kids and their families decide.

I have NEVER heard of anyone taking their kids out of a Catholic K8 so they could avoid the discomfort associated with not going to their first choice high school even if the alternative is a public school.