TOUGH TALK: HEALING BEGINS WITH A CONVERSATION ON MENTAL HEALTH 2
MARCH 2016 I Vol. 12, No. 3 prestonhollowpeople.com facebook.com/phollowpeople @phollowpeople
Price of Private HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE COST OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION
S C H O O LS Cinematic dreams come true for Greenhill juniors 10
TA N N E R G A R Z A
Alcuin School parents would pay a total of $298,894 if they sent their children to school for the total years currently offered, Pre-K through 10th grade.
Britt E. Stafford
People Newspapers
W
ith more than a handful of private schools scattered throughout the Preston Hollow and North Texas area, the educational options for families are endless. But while parents might prefer a private education because of programs offered or religious preferences, one look at the bill could change everything. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics most recent records, the national tuition average in independent schools for the 2011-12 school year at the elementary level was $7,770, and the secondary level was $13,030. According to school websites, the average tuition for schools in North Texas at the elementary level will be $20,566, and secondary level will be $23,915 for the 2016-17 school year. There’s no denying tuition is expensive, and it only adds up the longer a child is in school. At those rates, the average cost is more than $300,000 for
families who send their child to private school kindergarten through senior year. That’s more than sending a student to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton, for a four-year undergraduate degree, with room and board. Some families may choose to wait until high school to enter the private school realm. While that can save considerable dollars, the average cost can still be more than $95,000; more than four years of in-state tuition plus room and board at the University of Texas at Austin. Despite the cost, there are many reasons parents may choose private school. According to Head of School at Alcuin School Walter Sorensen, shopping around is a crucial part of discovering which school has the best program in which their child will thrive. “While [private schools] adhere to rigorous accreditation standards, they have the freedom to develop their own curriculum, allowing for variety and creativity in teaching, course content, and the ability to tailor and accelerate classes according
CONTINUED ON 9
HOW IT ADDS UP
$360,470
CAMPS Chronic diagnoses don’t stop kids from having fun at camp 14
Cost of Pre-K through 12th grade at Hockaday School
$69,285
Cost of four years of high school education at Jesuit College Preparatory
$226,920 Cost of Pre-K through 12th grade at Trinity Christian Academy SOURCE: SCHOOL WEBSITES
BUSINESS
SPORTS
NorthPark restaurant as rugged as presidential namesake 18
Dallas International School soccer star keeps up with the boys 12
LIVING WELL Local MedSpa likes to keep things in the family 24
COMMUNITY
Preston Hollow moms go All Out and sell parties in a box 33