Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Does this sound unreasonable?

We are considering yet another school for ds6 next year. It's a small private school, and they currently have just 15 students (10 full time, 5 part time). The full timers range in age from 12-17. The school is working on establishing a new 1st-3rd grade class for the 2010-2011 school year. They will hire another teacher and get the ball rolling for the class if they have at least 5 students who are interested (max of 10). The school is asking for a $400 financial commitment to hold our spot for next year. This seems reasonable to me, but dh thinks it's absurd to expect us to pay for something we're not yet committed to. I want to make sure we have the option if we need it; he thinks we should tell them we'll pay the money if/when we decide for sure that we're going to register our son at their school. The school will refund the money if the class does not work out. They are a small organization that is willing to think outside the box and provide a nontraditional learning environment. I understand that if they do not have enough interested families they will not be able to establish the class, so I'm more than willing to pay the money. Dh says that they're not a charity organization; they can wait until we know for sure what we are doing. Do you know if this is standard practice to request a financial commitment this early? I'm attaching an email (below) from the school that explains the payment terms. Thanks for taking the time to check this out. I'm at a loss, as usual!

Hello - Hope 2010 is off to a great start for you and your family. I just wanted to follow up, recapping our meeting last month. I am excited about getting a 1st/2nd/3rd grade class established for the next school year. It will be an amazing journey of experiential learning, teaching for understanding, using all of a student's intelligences, projects, and community - all of which are extensively researched educational practices, and have been implemented successfully in our school over the past 7 years. As we discussed, the class will have a minimum of 5 students, and a maximum of 10 per teacher.

The elementary school day will be from 9:00 - 2:00, with academics/projects from 9 - 11:30, lunch till noon, and enrichment classes (art, pe, drama, music, science, and /or others to be determined) till 2:00. A non-refundable deposit of $400. will be required by February 15 in order to hold a student's place. (If the class does not meet the minimum number of students, this deposit will be refunded). This deposit will be used during the student's school year for materials, supplies, and field trips, so that you will have minimal additional expenses during the year.
We will confirm with you that the class has been established by February 17.

I don't know if this is reasonable or unreasonable, but I think it shows good planning on their part, and that's a good sign. It seems to me that there are too few options for our kids in this world, and 400$ isn't a lot of money to help them 'hold the spot' - afterall, you will have to sign contracts in Feb or March and start making payments in April or May - at least around here.

Sounds like this is your first choice place, yes?
If so, I would go ahead and do it, if you want it. If you aren't actually sending your son there, then i think you aren't doing them any favors by asking them to save the spot and you have to 'take your chances.'

Why does this have to be so hard?
Grinity

I agree. I told dh that if we aren't able to commit just yet, it's not their fault. They have to be able to plan.

I don't know why it has to be so hard! I'm ready for an easy decision to come my way!

I think it's reasonable. FWIW, many private schools here require a term's fees at the same kind of time of year to reserve a place, which will be thousands of pounds, and that's well-established schools. TBAH, one of my worries would be whether their $400 is *enough* to make the information about who's signing up reliable (i.e., is it enough to deter all but those who almost-definitely intend to send their child?). If I were you I'd have a Plan B for the case that you sign up, so do at least 4 other people, so you're told it's all on and you give up your Montessori place, but then on the first day of the new term not enough people actually turn up to make paying the teacher's salary viable. The deposits will not go anywhere much to help in that scenario.

ColinsMum, that's what dh is worried about too. In fact, I feel kind of bad because we are on the fence. I know others might be too, and I agree, $400 isn't enough to seal the deal. My parents and dh have big reservations about the private school because of it's size and the fact that they haven't begun a new elementary class since the middle- and high-schoolers were that age. They've just focused on that group of kids through the past 7 years. I'm worried about what happens if the teacher quits for some reason. It's not like they'll have a back up. The thing is, if their vision comes to fruition, it will be a wonderful opportunity. I'd prefer it if ds's current Montessori school turned out to be a good fit so he doesn't have to switch schools again. Maybe he'll love it by the end of the school year. So far, he's had only a few weeks to adjust. According to ds, it's not going so well.

Actually, no this isn't our first choice. Our first choice is that he falls in love with the Montessori school where he's currently attending. I like the school a lot, and they are committed to making it work for ds. They run like a well oiled machine, and ds feels very accepted. He also says he's sufficiently challenged. Mostly, I don't want him to have to move to another school and go through yet another adjustment period.

The other school is also a good option, in my opinion, however no one else in my family seems to agree with me. I'm more of a risk taker and feel comfortable putting my faith in these people because I've come to know them and trust them. No one else has been as involved as I with this school, so they are making judgements based on how it looks on the surface: too new, too small, unstructured----what I see is innovative, lots of individual attention, and out of the box.

It's standard practice around these parts to require a deposit to hold your spot. Last year our private school required 10% of the tuition by March 1st.

A deposit shows that you are financially mature, too.

It sounds very reasonable. Even if this was an established class that had been around for a while you would still have to make the $400 deposit to guarantee a spot. The only difference is the class is a start up but the school will refund the money if it doesn't make. Really shouldn't be an issue. Just remind your husband of the entrance fee for the Montessori school. I'm sure they had a non-refundable deposit. Definitely nothing fishy about the way the school is handling it.

You say that they haven't started a new elementary class since the middle- and high-schoolers were that age. Have you talked to the parents of these kids who have been taught at this school for years now? Was the start-up of their elementary class at that time structured similarly and what have they thought about the education?

I agree that a $400 deposit seems reasonable so that they can plan. I do worry, though, that if the class doesn't fly you might have lost the opportunity at the Montessori school for the fall. Would HSing then be an option again? If this other school needs your deposit now, do they have a similar spring deadline for deciding if this new elementary class is a go so that you'd have time to make other plans? On the other hand, since your DS was able to start at the Montessori in January, is it possible that there might, indeed, be a spot for him come fall if necessary, even if you don't give them a deposit this spring?

I do think that ds would be able to start at the Montessori school even if we didn't register him early, but I could be wrong. They are pretty particular about a child being a goood fit for the school and vice versa. I'm not sure what they'd think if we pulled him and then wanted to come back.

As for the private school requiring the $400 deposit, I think it certainly reasonable and standard practice. The Montessori school only required a $75 fee. Dh didn't like that either! Ugh!

Yes, I have talked with some of the parents of the older kids, and they have been really happy with the school academically. But, we didn't discuss fees at all. After much discussion, I think what it boils down to is dh is reluctant to move ds yet again. For one, he pointed out that ds needs structure, and we're both not convinced he'd have a lot of that at the private school. Ds is a master manipulator when he wants to get out of doing work! Being such a new program, we wonder how long it will take to get good systems in place and establish that order.

Dh thinks that ds is saying he doesn't like school right now b/c he's not used to being challenged and having to work hard. Our son could use a lesson in sticking with a difficult task that takes some effort. Better to learn this lesson now than later.

When I talk to ds, his frustration with the school always winds back around to the difficulty with writing. If that's what it is, he'll get there eventually. I'm beginning to think it's more ds's poor work ethic (from never being challenged) than a poor school fit. At least, I'm really hoping and praying that's all it is! Only time will tell, but dh feels very strongly that ds needs to stay put. In a way I agree, but like I said before I'm a firm believer that sticking with poor decision, just because it's the path you chose is rarely a good idea. To quote Emerson, a foolish consistancy is the hobgoblin of little minds...