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Hi, I am wondering if anyone can tell from experience whether we should (in case we get into our preferred classical school) still consider going private OR moving to suburbs (Wilmette or somewhere around there).
We could potentially afford private (I would need to start working, now I am at home), but that would be a big investment for us, almost impossible but manageable. I am attracted by smaller classes, good healthy meals (from what I heard), a short walk from our home, and some other perks that private offers. What we are unsure about is how gifted kids are nurtured there and what the community feel is like.
In terms of suburbs, I hear public schools there are better than CPS, but I am not sure I understand what it means in practice. We don’t know anyone in the suburbs. Does that apply to some particular north suburb schools, or basically any suburban school is better than an average CPS school…? What are the advantages suburban schools are famous for?
Ultimately we want our child to love going to school, but also be constantly challenged. She is an early reader and mathematician and I wonder where she could strive best emotionally, socially and academically.
Thanks for any advice <3
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We have not considered moving to the suburbs, so have not done my research at all. But did grow up in the west suburbs.
I would say there is no way to make a general statement of CPS vs suburbs. I think it would highly depend on the specific schools you are comparing. Possibly adding the specific classical school/private school you are shooting for would help?I would say being able to walk to school is a HUGE perk!
Also have you researched application private school application deadlines? From what I remember from chat between parents at our preschool last year, the deadlines for deposits on private schools were before CPS’s results came out. Im assuming your child is going to k this year, so I would definitely reach out to the private school you are interested as soon as possible.
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Thanks a lot for your response! Yes, the timing with private school worries me, we would need to apply before we’d know the results I think. I guess I am hoping the results would be early spring.
We are trying to compare to Skinner North and Edison, vs Latin, Parker.
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I did email the CPS office of enrollment in early January and was told results are expected at the end of spring/early summer. I’m setting my expectations low, and expecting that to be pushed back further.
As far as the private schools go, hopefully someone will respond that has been able to tour prior to COVID. I have never toured any of them. The general feeling I get talking to others is that the private schools you mentioned are very hard to get into. I don’t believe the application process takes into consideration the students abilities. So I have come to the conclusion that it must be who you know. I have also heard that they don’t do a good job with differentiation in the classroom. And I don’t know that they really have testing that compares to public schools. So comparing them to CPS schools might be difficult if you don’t get to do solid tour, as it must be how the school “feels”as opposed to the metrics that families generally use to compare private schools.
One important thing for me was proximity. I only applied to schools that we close to us or that would be easy to swing by to/from the loop where my husband and I will be working post covid. None of the private fit that bill.
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Sorry I meant…. as opposed to the metrics that families generally use to compare PUBLIC schools.
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Thanks! Yeah, I was hoping that there would be parents here who have maybe tried both, whose kids have gone to private but then switched to public, or vice versa. I know there are those cases, I just have never met anyone.
I did tour both Parker and Latin and loved it, but I still don’t think the tour is enough… Especially since I haven’t had a chance to tour Skinner North :/
Proximity is a huge factor for us as well… We need an option to walk.
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If you are open to moving to a suburb like Wilmette/Winnetka,/Glenview, etc., and are not held into the city because of work or another obligation, then moving to the suburbs could be a great decision. The schools are truly excellent, including through high school. The students have a good community surrounding them, so they have friends to play with. You can also look into the suburbs that allow for you to live in a nearby suburb but go to their school district, such as Park Ridge, Niles, Lincolnwood, etc. Great options there as well. The taxes pay off in the end when you consider all of the included services and extracurriculars (park districts, etc.) that also have excellent programs.
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Thank you! This is very helpful. We were getting excited with the idea to maybe move, but… We went to Wilmette last week, drove around a little bit, it seemed so deserted though, haven’t seen a soul. The shops look so outdated, I saw like three barber shops, almost no restaurants… Maybe we missed the coolest part, but I guess I was expecting a little bit of a different vibe, having heard a lot of good things about Wilmette.
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I love posts like these because it gives me the opportunity to sing the praises of CPS schools. CPS has some of the best schools in the nation. Most of their selective enrollment high schools are nationally ranked-while the suburban high schools ARE NOT. For example, the top 5 selective enrollment high schools are in the top 100 in the nation while New Trier is ranked 307th. The SEES elementary schools are also highly ranked. You can use ISBE report cards to compare various statistics for all the schools you are looking at. If your child does get into a selective enrollment school, it is similar to being in a an advanced or gifted class every day. Many suburbs offer gifted program as an additional class only once per week. My friend who moved to Hinsdale (highly rated suburban district) from a SEES said the curriculum was a year behind and was only offered that gifted class once per week. She had to sign up for enrichment classes to keep her kids challenged. All that being said, the suburbs do offer the security that you don’t have to test into high school and probably a group of friends for your kids who, for the most part, won’t move away, both problems that city folks face. Prior to everything that happened this year, there were also people moving from the suburbs to attend high school here. There were 2 families in my daughter’s prep class who were trying to test into CPS selective enrollment schools from Naperville.
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How do kids test into SEES high schools? Do the families have to move to the city to test? Or do they just have to move before school starts?
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(Kids from Naperville)
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