• Date Started: Nov 29, 2004
• Entries: 1,475
• Comments: 3,589
• Total Visits: 9,421,847

Cost of homeschooling

5 Responses to “Cost of homeschooling”

1. Swimgirl Says:
   July 30th, 2008 at 04:29 pm 1217435388
   1217435388
   School isn't just about workbooks and pencils. How about equipment for physical education, art supplies, musical instruments and CDs or tapes, science equipment including animals and plants, manipulatives for math, current reading programs, copies of prize-winning literature such as Caldecott and Newberry winners, and professional, qualified teachers? I can think of tons of things to spend money on for a school.
   
   Cost figures reported are averages and take into account students who need special services such as speech and students who are handicapped and might require a full time aide, nurses for the schools, facilities, equipment, specialists, etc.
   
   I homeschooled my son briefly (not really by choice, but for six months) and it probably cost $300 for the six months to make his homeschool curriculum as enriched as the public school curriculum.
   
   I know that homeschooling is the right choice for some families, but comparing it to "school" is like comparing apples and oranges. There are benefits to both, but top-notch educational programs are not cheap.
   
   Good for you for taking advantage of resources that an lower your bill. I assume you are using the library, free museums, public parks, internet activities, play groups and similar free programs. I wish you success in your endeavor.

2. princessperky Says:
   July 30th, 2008 at 04:52 pm 1217436759
   1217436759
   
   You might have missed the last post where DC has ..."Only 37 percent of tested students in District of Columbia Public Schools and the city’s public charter schools earned proficient or advanced rankings in reading in 2007, and only 32 percent reached those levels in math, Jennifer Comey told the city council."...
   
   You see public school with all its 'stuff' often fails to actually educate the basics. Statistics on homeschooling consistently show higher proficiency in reading and math as well as other subjects. public schools do tend to win on the sports front though, statistically public school kids play better football than homeschoolers.

3. aevans1206 Says:
   July 30th, 2008 at 05:30 pm 1217439026
   1217439026
   Princess Perky, speaking from a public school teacher's standpoint, I agree that the bells and whistles of public school system fail to really get to the heart of educating our children. Homeschooling is truly successful because of a major focal point: parent support. I work in a district that only has $4,600 per student as it is so large and full of renters/people living in poverty. The school I work at is a charter school and we have all of this money at our disposal, but we fail many of our students because either a) their parents don't know what to do at home because of their own lack in skills (I have many parents upset that they can't help their children with Algebra because they don't know it themselves or struggle with English) and b) some just aren't there, whether working two jobs, whatever. There are so many factors that go into why a school district struggles with obtaining proficiency for their students. You, homeschooling, have so much more control and have a much smaller classload. However, not all parents are equipped to keep their children at home to educate them.

4. zakity Says:
   July 30th, 2008 at 06:31 pm 1217442685
   1217442685
   Wow! You get off cheap! We guess that we spend about $1200 a year on homeschooling, between activities, field trips, curriculum, and supplies. They have a $100 activity budget a month and the rest is for curriculum and field trips.

5. princessperky Says:
   July 31st, 2008 at 04:20 pm 1217521221
   1217521221
   Well I do cheat, my youngest is 2.... (I didn't count the new one in the list at all)
   
   And even if I wanted to spend 1200 I don't have it..
   Though I am a very relaxed homeschooler, I prefer reading books from the library and magazines to a science or history curriculum. When they are older I may change..but right now they know more than their peers, and even sometimes more than me! so I am happy.
   
   As to parents who "can't" not only is that a dirty word, it is often a case of folks trusting the system that failed to teach them. I have nothing against public school teachers, but you are fighting an uphill battle with no support in sight. And the 'win' is often just a kid who can pass a test.
   
   Schooling has it's place, and parents working two jobs with no time for educating their kids do get my sympathy.

Leave a Reply