Private local prep schools the right choice for some

Debbie Waltzer//February 8, 2002//

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As new parents, Victor residents Sheree and Kirk Bodary never intended to send their twin daughters to a private school.
Now the couple-she, a homemaker and community volunteer, and he, an anesthesiologist and vice president of medical affairs at Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic-cannot imagine ever enrolling Aubrey and Ali, 11, in a public school system.
The girls, currently in sixth grade, have attended Allendale Columbia School in Pittsford-one of two local, private, non-parochial college preparatory institutions-since first grade. While the Victor Central School District has made strides in its curriculum in the ensuing years, Sheree Bodary says, its approach to reading instruction in 1996 was based on whole language, instead of phonics.
This teaching methodology concerned the couple, who had sent the girls to the Montessori School in Canandaigua for kindergarten, so they explored various options, selected Allendale and have been delighted with their decision ever since.
The Bodarys are among a growing number of families nationwide who are choosing private schools for their children.
According to the National Association of Independent Schools, based in Washington, D.C., nearly half a million U.S. students attend 1,100 independent schools, defined as institutions of learning that are “primarily supported by tuition, charitable contributions and endowment income, rather than by tax or church funds.”
And enrollment-nationally, statewide and locally-is growing, says Charles Hertrick, headmaster at Allendale and president of the New York State Association of Independent Schools.
“Headmasters around the country are reporting a tremendous market for this type of educational institution,” he says. “Clearly, parents and students are pleased with what we (independent schools) do.”
What are the draws? Among them, note parents, students and administrators alike, are school enrollments that are far smaller than those found in public school districts.
For instance, the total enrollment at Allendale for the 2001-2002 academic year-nursery school through 12th grade-is 448 students, considerably smaller than the size of the student body at many area elementary schools.
Likewise, the teacher-to-student ratio is more favorable; 1-to-8 at Allendale, compared with approximately 1-to-25 at suburban and urban schools.
Finally, members of the school community cite a variety of amenities and traditions not always found in public schools.
Among these are daily family-style lunches for the students, faculty and other administrators; all-school activities, including Blue/White Day and a holiday breakfast; and a strong sense of school spirit and loyalty (“nobody cheers louder during the lower school’s annual musical than our high-schoolers,” Hertrick notes.)
Still, some say, there are drawbacks to attending an independent school. First, the annual tuition is hefty-up to $12,750 per child, depending on the grade level-putting that option out of reach for many families, although 25 percent of students receive some form of financial aid.
Second, while Allendale-whose roots date back to 1890-does offer a variety of sports, its complete athletics program is less extensive than those offered by neighboring public school districts.
As a result, the school’s annual attrition rate is approximately 10 percent, Hertrick says, due to family relocations, academic mismatches or financial concerns.
Nonetheless, Sheree Bodary concurs with Hertrick’s assertion that Allendale offers “a rigorous college preparatory program that attracts families who are committed to the educational process.”
“No, sending our daughters to Allendale is not cheap,” she says. “But I can’t think of anything better to spend our money on than our kids’ future.”
Within a five-minute drive from Allendale is Rochester’s other private, non-parochial, college preparatory school for children in grades ranging from pre-school to 12th grade.
Enrollment at the Harley School in Brighton-founded in 1917 by 10 mothers concerned about the quality of their children’s education-is slightly larger than Allendale’s.
Annual tuition at the highest grades is a bit less than at Allendale-$12,650 per child-and the percentage of students receiving financial aid is comparable-approximately 25 percent of the student body.
With 515 students attending Harley this year, the school’s sole mission is “to educate children in a progressive environment,” says Paul Schiffman, head of school since July 1999, and formerly an assistant superintendent with the Greece Central School District.
“We are more than a school; we are truly a community where students discover the joy of learning,” he says. “At Harley, there is no disconnect between the child, the family and the school. It’s a very caring place-what every school in America should be.”
Wendy Orange concurs with Schiffman’s assessment. As the mother of Erica Orange-a 1999 Harley graduate; junior at the University of Rochester, pursuing a double major in political science and psychology; and currently a Congressional intern for U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.)-Wendy Orange raves about her daughter’s 13-year experience at the private school.
“I found the teachers and administrators at Harley to be very flexible in their thinking, and to support the notion of life as a journey, not a destination,” says Orange, a business manager for Lancome Cosmetics who lives in the city’s 19th Ward with her husband, David, owner of Sculptek, a packaging design and product development firm, while Erica lives on campus.
“There are a lot of bright kids at Harley and the norm is to do quite well academically,” she adds.
While at Harley, Erica immersed herself in academics, the performing arts and community service. At one point, she decided to try her hand at playing soccer, and instead of having to compete with skilled players for a coveted spot on the team-as is the protocol at area public schools-she simply joined Harley’s soccer team and enjoyed the experience immensely.
Class size was both a plus and a minus for her daughter, Orange says. While plenty of animated dialogue and academic rigor emerged from the groups, such small clusters were less than ideal for socializing, particularly during Erica’s high school years.
“Going to a private school with a small graduating class is a bit like living in a small town vs. a large city, in that the students are always under a microscope,” she says. As a result, Erica cultivated friendships both within and outside the school.
Looking back, Orange feels that her daughter thrived by attending a private school.
She fondly recalls an experience from Erica’s year in kindergarten. While returning with her daughter to her classroom following lunch (parents are encouraged to have lunch at school, as well as to participate in myriad ways), Erica approached her teacher, removed an apple from her hand, took a bite out of it, and placed it back in her teacher’s hand.
Orange was mortified, but Erica’s teacher was thrilled with this daring behavior by the heretofore docile child.
“This is exactly what Harley is all about,” the teacher told Erica’s mother. “Our job is to help her let loose a little bit.”
(Debbie Waltzer is a Rochester-area free-lance writer.)