I recently attended my old school’s high school night. The school is a small, private, k-8 school in Southwest Portland. My graduating eighth grade class was 26 students and the transition from that to 400 students at Cleveland was a massive change. I was asked to speak to the current seventh and eighth graders and their families about the totally viable option of public school. The other schools that were invited were all private high schools in and around Portland: Central Catholic, St. Mary’s, Jesuit (which is the largest private high school in Oregon with almost 1,300 students), OES, Northwest Academy, Caitlin Gable, and La Salle.

Every school who spoke said roughly the same thing about their curriculum and the general structure of the schools. Small classrooms means more help, close relationships with teachers and peers, and a more focused learning environment. Every school said an iteration of “We are smaller and therefore closer.” It felt as though what they weren’t saying was “You should definitely send your kid to private school because they absolutely can’t handle the horrors of public schools.”

 Sure there are many aspects of public school that are difficult to manage: overcrowded classrooms, unmotivated students, and very little funding. However if one of the main things you’re looking for is community and a good education, public school is absolutely a great option. 

Obviously you save a whole lot of money ranging from $19,000-35,000, and although private schools offer financial aid, spending that much money is not an option for most people. 

There are things in a small private school that you simply can’t get. I certainly didn’t get the experience of having different friend groups, lots of teachers and a community that spans over 1000 students and faculty at my old school. Most schools offer lots of peer tutoring, after school help, and periods where you can go ask your teachers questions. 

There is something very special about being a part of something big. In many ways it makes you feel smaller, but it also offers a voice to the student body because of how large it is along with offering lots of diverse opinions.  

I think that going to a private school is valid, because it offers things that you know you cannot receive at a public school, but counting out your local public high school because you’re scared of not fitting in or because it’s scary, is not. These fears are understandable, but there is so much good in being not only a new student in a school full of strangers, but forcing yourself to get out of your comfort zone. The experience of having friends and connections with more people than you can name is something special that can only be achieved by feeling a little lost for a bit.