Housing Costs, Charter Schools Play into California Private School Decline

(from Voice of San Diego) California's independent K-12 schools educated 7.5 percent of the state's students in the 2014-15 school year, down from 10 percent in 1996-97. One of the less-obvious factors for the shift is rising housing costs, which have had the duel effect of driving some families to cheaper areas and causing others to rationalize that the tuition they don't pay can help them buy into a neighborhood with good public schools. Another factor is charter schools, whose smaller class sizes and direct accountability to students and parents reflects two benefits of independent schools. 

Amid these and other forces, an estimated 80 private schools in the state have closed since the 1999-2000 school year. Combined with significant population growth, this means more pressure on the state's already-stretched education funds. That could support the case for the state's support of independent schools. "It is conceivable that as many as 400 new schools would need to be constructed or purchased, resulting in a staggering level of long-term, public indebtedness," said Ron Reynolds of the California Association of Private School Organizations.

Read the full article on Voice of San Diego.

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