Faith-based schools report growing enrollment

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Praying children

Praying childrenCHRISTINE Schalwitz had no intention of keeping her 5-year-old daughter in private school beyond the preschool years.

Schalwitz, who sends her daughter and 2-year-old son to First Christian School, said the plan was to enter public school once the children reached kindergarten.

But with dwindling budgets and larger class sizes in the public schools, Schalwitz changed her mind. Her daughter will enter kindergarten at First Christian this fall.

“It’s a very clean and very warm environment. Everyone is so friendly. People you don’t even know say ‘Hi’ to you,” Schalwitz said. “Why look any further?”

Faith-based schools are a popular choice for many Napa parents, most of whom are looking for smaller class sizes, a diverse curriculum and the teaching of moral values.

State budget cuts have forced most public schools to increase class sizes and cut back on certain programs, including physical education. Napa Valley Unified School District’s instrumental music program in the early grades was able to escape elimination only after a fundraising effort brought in $85,000.

Despite the cuts, public schools in Napa County have experienced a steady increase in enrollment since 2005. According to the California Department of Education, 20,584 students were enrolled in the county’s public schools this past year, up from 19,654 in the 2004-05 school year.

“Given the current economic downturn, we believe more parents are actually returning to public schools as the tuition costs for private schools become more burdensome for families,” said J. Wade Roach, assistant superintendent of business services at the Napa Valley Unified School District.

While enrollment numbers stay strong in the public schools, most faith-based schools in Napa continue to report steady or increasing enrollment.

First Christian, which opened with its first class in 1998, has experienced some of the largest growth among the faith-based schools, with enrollment increasing by 47 percent since May 2010, statistics there show.

This fall, the campus will be adding four additional middle school classrooms and expanding its playground. The additional classroom space will allow First Christian to accommodate a total of  180 K-8 students.

At First Christian, where the average class size is 15, teachers have the physical and mental ability to work with each child, said admissions coordinator Dianna Messenger.

“The more students you have, the less freedom you have to cater to an individualized education,” said the school’s administrator, Dawnelle Ellis.

Ellis said she believes budget cuts at public schools have drawn many parents to private, faith-based education. “Because we’re not funded by the state, we’re able to increase programming, not decrease it,” she said.

Despite a tough economy, many of these parents are paying a yearly tuition of more than $5,000 per child.

“No doubt, it’s a sacrifice,” said St. Apollinaris parent Kelly Hyatt. “The biggest thing I can say is the end product is so well worth it. When they hit high school, they don’t skip a beat. Same at college.”

Elisa McClure, parent of a child at St. John the Baptist, agrees the education is worth the cost.

“Look at how much we spend on other things in our lives like cars and homes,” she said. “Our children are the most important things in our lives.”

To help with the high costs, many of the faith-based schools offer tuition assistance. Source: Napa Valley Register 

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