From private to public schools: Federal Way families save money on tuition

In the past few years, several families have made the switch from private to public schools — lured by the prospect of rigorous academic challenges at the public school price.

With the Cambridge, International Baccalaureate and Federal Way Public Academy, the Federal Way School District is making its presence known to private schools by attracting students to the public school system.

Christi Moder moved her daughter Chandler to the Cambridge program after several years at Brooklake Christian School.

Chandler attended Brooklake through her fifth-grade year (the school goes to eighth grade). Around that time, Federal Way was promoting the Cambridge program in its middle and high schools.

"We fell in love with the whole idea," Moder said. "It's more academically driven, so we knew she wouldn't be bored but also not overwhelmed."

The Moders are currently filling out an application for their younger daughter.

Moder cited the teachers' excellent communication with parents, as well as the teaching of Spanish in middle school, as two positive aspects of Cambridge.

Janice Sack-Ory moved her son Kai from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma to the International Baccalaureate program at Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way.

Kai had been in private school all his life except for a brief stint at the Federal Way Public Academy — before the family made the decision to join the IB program just a few days before Kai's sophomore year.

"We're really happy with the program," Janice said. "It's preparing him for life after high school. The most significant thing is valuing a program that helps our kids become critical thinkers. It's needed for our future leaders."

Part of Ory's decision to move back into the Federal Way Public Schools system was the more diverse student population that Kai would encounter in Federal Way.

The Moders and the Orys aren't alone in their decision to move from private to public schools. Dozens of students have done so in the past few years. Some switched for financial reasons because private school can cost thousands of dollars per year. Other students switched for the academics or the diversity of the Federal Way School District.

Getting into the programs

Federal Way's Choice Enrollment continues through Friday, allowing parents and students to apply for the Cambridge program, including Cambridge Checkpoint Prepartory Academy at the middle school level and the Cambridge program at Federal Way High School, the Technology Access Foundation Academy, Federal Way Public Academy, International Baccalaureate, the fifth-grade program at Illahee Middle School and the K-8 programs at Woodmont and Nautilus elementary schools.

A lottery will be held for programs that have more applicants than spots available.

Currently there are 120 full-time Cambridge students at the high school level as well as 360 at Lakota and Sacajawea middle schools.

The Cambridge program costs each school a site fee of $3,400 per year.

Testing for the Advanced Placement, IB and Cambridge programs cost the district $139,000 last year.

Since the programs are part of public education, the costs are paid for by the state and the district. State funding is about $5,000 per student.

Costs of private school

• Annual tuition for Brooklake Christian School in Federal Way

Grades 1-5: $5,818 first child.

Grades 6-8: $6,359 for first child.

• St. Vincent de Paul School

Parish commitment: School families must contribute at least $520 per year to the parish.

Parish family tuition: One child costs $3,600.

Out of parish: One child costs $5,600 in grades 1-8; kindergarten, $4,060.

• Bellarmine Preparatory School

Tuition for 2008-2009 is $10,757.

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