Public or Private - Roselle,IL

There are lots of things to think about when making this decision. I have 2 kids in Catholic school (not St. Walter's) and 1 in public (we just switched this year).

Advantages of the Catholic school are there is a smaller community, they can kick out problem kids (it takes awhile, but it does happen), the teacher are there because they want to be and they can teach religion. Oh and the uniform is a real plus. Academically they do push the children harder and make them do more projects like a science project.

Disadvantages are bigger class sizes (the younger grades at our school have a full time aid), constantly being asked for money, LOTS OF COMPETITION in academics and athletics (and it's not always the kids) and dealing with people who think money allows them not to follow the rules. You also might have to drive your child to school every day.

Advantages of public school are that there are gifted programs if your child falls into that category, you get to know people in the neighborhood, maybe you can walk to school, they don't expect everyone to have a computer or a mom on call to take the to the library at the drop of a hat.

Disadvantages of the public school are that they don't seem to push as hard as the private (science fair project is not required), they have to take any child, you have to worry about clothes and here it starts so late (9:15 for elementary).

Each child is different and only you can figure out what works best for your boys. I would talk to your neighbors and visit the schools.

At the private school ask about extracurricular activities BESIDES SPORTS. One of my kids is not a sports kid and there wasn't much else for him to do with his school friends. Ask about tuition and what is the standard increase because it does go up every year. Ask how much they expect you to volunteer.

I'm sure I could come up with more if I thought about it, but some kids are waking up. Good luck!

M.

I attended Catholic schools my whole life, and when I went to college to become a teacher, I discovered that my education growing up really stunk. I always tell people I'd only recommend a private school if your public school is really bad. Public schools have more resources, and often have smaller class sizes. I just recently took a tour of our local Catholic school to see if I'd send my daughters there. I was not impressed at all. The class sizes were way too big (30 and up)! The curriculum and teaching methods also seemed outdated. I'd call the school and ask for a tour. Ask a lot of questions, especially about class size, because that does make a difference in quality of education. Private schools don't have to take state tests, but you can look online and see your local schools' test scores and how they rank. Some private schools are excellent, but not all of them. Good luck in your decision!

My daughter attends St.Walters and loves it. She is in 4th grade and has been at St. Walters for 2 years. The school is great and the education is beyond what we expected. They teach at an advanced level (a year or two ahead), and the children seem to benefit from it. I know the public schools in roselle are also good (we have cousins there). Which ever you choose I believe as long as you are involved they will excel wherever you send them. As far as St.Walters is concerned, it is a great school. Tuition is either at a discounted parishener rate, or a regular rate. The staff is actively involved, and they seem to go the extra mile for the kids. Their principal Mrs Lloyd exceeds the normal principal role. She is actively involved and takes the chance to get to know all the students. It is a very family oriented environment. There are plenty of kids that are not catholic that attend the school. As far as the priest issue is concerned, it didn't effect the community. As far as I know it was dealt with and he was replaced. I would reccomend St.Walters to anyone that asked. I am very happy with the choice we made to send our daughter there. We live in Streamwood and the public schools by us are not great. She has been in private school since preschool, and I love St.Walters better than her first school. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Not to scare you, but isn't St. Walters where the priest just got arrested for embezzling church funds? I recall reading an article fairly recently about that.

Besides that, you have to decide what's a higher priority for your family...(i.e. the financial cost and whether or not you can afford it every year, receiving religious education as part of your regular education, funding for activities, etc.)

If you do decide to go with a Catholic school, St. Hubert in Hoffman Estates is an excellent school. Roselle is not too far from there. If you live on the District 54 side, your child can ride the bus. We live in Streamwood, so I have to drive my daughter every day, but it is well worth it. You will not find a better education anywhere. My daughter is in first grade. She has been going there since preschool and we absolutely love it. We will also be sending our son there for preschool in the fall. Yes, we originally chose to send our daughter there because we are not in a good school district, however, even if we move to Schaumburg which has an excellent school district, we will continue to send our kids to St. Hubert.

My husband went to a private cathlic school and didn't do any better than my kids going to a public school in district 54 and 211.I'm sure Roselle has a great school system, too. I always believe it's how you raise your children and how well the children are willing to do in school, not if they re public or private.
Maybe in the city private isn't such a bad idea.
Good luck

My children all went to Catholic schools through high school, though not St. Walter's. I can only speak in generalities to you. One of the best things about the catholic grade school was the high quality families who were sending their children there. My children were so well prepared for college, English especially. My daughter used to proof read her friend's papers at Northwestern University and her grammar, punctuation, paragraph, etc. were better than all of theirs. They all learned how to study and they all liked school. Especially in high school, Benet Academy in Lisle, it was nice to be in an environment in which the great majority of students were so serious about their studies. When they went, it was not possible for someone not Catholic to go to either the grade school or the high school. We have a pre-school now also and preference is given to parishioners, though I think they do have some non-parishioners. The cost is the greatest consideration, though if you are just thinking pre-school it is not that much higher. I always referred to us as "education poor" but that was our priority. The religious education is a part of the curriculum. Besides the general christian teaching about being a good person and faith in Jesus and the Trinity, there is also a good amount that is specific to the Roman Catholic Church.

My son started preschool at St. Walter's. He was very unsure what to expect the first day, but things went well. Then, as weeks went on, he became more clingy, and started to cry at drop-off. He said he did not like it. I have every reason to believe it's a great school, and I'd consider enrolling a grade-school child. For preschool, however, I find that because they don't have an outside play area at all, and a smaller inside space (more desk work), it just wasn't a good fit for us. He was used to going outside at preschool.
He didn't continue, and I feel bad about that, but the point was to send him so he'd enjoy himself. He loves the park district program in Schaumburg! It's play-based, and the kids go outside. I think both those things are very important for 3 and 4-year-old kids. My husband went to catholic school. I signed up without seeing the school or knowing much about it. Again, I think a child would get a great education there, and his teacher was great, but for a preschooler, the environment might be a bit too formal. No reason private is better if you have Roselle or Schaumburg schools, if that's a concern.