Swinging at Curve Balls

I'm trying so hard to do all the right things for my family, eating healthy, being a positive role model, being a supportive wife, and now I am contemplating homeschooling. Not because I am so incredible at inspiring my children (I actually have a feeling the opposite occurs more regularly), but because we are now faced with what I consider to be a very important decision. You tell me if I'm swinging at curve balls, or if I should just give it more time, a lot of discussion, and perhaps a lot more reflection.

Maisey's school tuition has gone up. Not a surprise; we actually expected a yearly increase. But it's more than we thought, and that's not the worst news for us. The worst news is that they are charging the same amount for preschool as they are for grades K-8. And the kicker--they are not offering a multi-child discount. My husband says even if tuition rates never go any higher, in the course of the next 8 years, we will have spent the equivalent of Harvard college education on the primary education of our girls. I'll take a deep breath here while that sinks in.

While the Harvard comparison is a bit exaggerated, the tuition increase has indeed brought about a huge turmoil in me and in our household. Maisey loves her school, her friends, her girl scout troop--all of which I love too. Evie has wanted to join her sister at this school for over a year now. And now, just as we're ready to make that happen, we are hit with a curve ball: over double the bill, with no relief, no discounts, no explanation. It's beyond frustrating. It's heartbreaking.

And further research and discussion with other parents, the school board, and other private schools has revealed a huge problem in our area: an overcrowded public school system, with few solutions or alternatives. Two schools in our county are failing to achieve their national education standards. We live in one of those districts. Private education is expensive, and here, it seems they can charge a premium because of our "most livable city" small town conundrum. Every public school has overcrowding issues so that the cut off dates for kindergarten and preschool are strict. That leaves the private schools, who offer discounts and lower tuition to "members," and only non-members who can afford the full tuition rates can even consider it an option. The rest of us? Well, we're left to scramble.

The good news for me (if you can call it that): Evie isn't eligible for preschool in the county system this year. Her birthday is past their cut off date. So I won't have to scramble to get her registered for public preschool this year. But, if I want her to go to preschool at all, my only other option is to pay approximately $500/month for our top two private schools, or home school.

So, I'm thinking maybe I need to step away from the plate, and Evie and I can just spend this last year together at home while I find a way to pinch hit this curve ball.