Not Just Free, But Better!

No less an authority on private enterprise than The Wall Street Journal has reported parents are increasingly turning their backs on high-priced private schools for a  reliable and inexpensive option: You.

Nationally, educators report a growing switch from private to public schools, particularly in well-to-do areas. Admissions inquiries to the National Association of Independent Schools network declined from 9.7 inquiries per enrollee in 1997 to 8.5 last year.

The reasons may be varied: Private school tuitions are up (16 percent in five years to a median of $16,970 last year); some elite colleges are accepting more public school students, especially those with lots of Advanced Placement; and recent studies suggest that students in private schools don’t do any better than their public school counterparts.