Northwest Military

Private schools and military students

The South Sound has several options

By Cassandra A. Fortin on February 23, 2010

Choosing between public and private school is kind of like choosing whether or not you want to live in an apartment with a view of the ocean or a house with a view of the mountains.  Both options have their benefits, but private school - like the house - will cost a lot more.   

Despite hard economic times, more than 6 million, or about 11 percent of all children in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade in the United States, attend private school, according to statistics compiled by the Council for American Private Education, a coalition of national organizations and state affiliates serving private elementary and secondary schools.

A majority of the 6 million children attend parochial schools, primarily Catholic schools across the nation. In Pierce County, there is one Catholic high school - Bellarmine Preparatory School - with about 1,000 students, and seven elementary and middle schools attended by 2,162 students, said Sandra Barton-Smith, the director of Curriculum for the Archdiocese of Seattle.   

"Although some private schools may be seeing a decline in enrollment due to the economy, our schools have flatlined between this year and last year," Barton-Smith said. "We aren't seeing more students, but we are seeing just as many."

During this same period, Catholic school officials reported that they gave more financial assistance this year than last, she said. Whether it is the availability of increased financial assistance or a strong desire to educate children in the Catholic faith, Catholic schools seem to be bucking the decline in enrollment trends.  

For parents considering a Catholic education for their children, financial assistance is available to offset the cost, she said. For starters, the Catholic schools in the state provide financial assistance through the Fulcrum Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Seattle through annual fund-raising and income from endowments.  Through the foundation, parents can do fund-raising for each of their children with a portion of the money they raise going toward their child's tuition bill.

In 2007, the Fulcrum Foundation distributed $642,462 in tuition assistance to schoolchildren throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle.  

For the most part, Catholic schools are less expensive than non-parochial schools, and they are military friendly, Barton-Smith said.

"All students are individuals," she said. "We try to work with each military family to meet the needs of every child. We understand that military children have unique situations."

Other non-Catholic private schools have created some military specific programs.

Life Christian School in Tacoma has created a support group for children with deployed parents, said Linda Davis, the director of admissions at the school.

To help ensure that every child gets the financial assistance he or she is entitled to, the school looks at each application for financial assistance individually.

"For a lot of families, their income looks good on a tax return, but we look beyond that," Davis said. "We look at the family circumstances that a tax return does not show."

Life Christian School is holding a lunch open house March 22, and personal tours of the school may be made by contacting the school.

In its 38th year, Heritage Christian School in University Place caters to the needs of military families.  About 28 percent of the school's 162 students come from families of active duty service members or veterans.  The school boasts a patriotic emphasis.

"We have a large Veteran's Day celebration, send cards to our troops, invite military parents on leave to spend the day with their child, and generally show the utmost respect for our men and women in uniform," Glenn Fisher, the principal of the school, said. "We also emphasize values that are important to military families such as honor, faith, a love for country, freedom, and discipline."

Further, the school strives to maintain an affordable tuition, high academic standards and a strong Christian atmosphere, Fisher said.

"We also conduct no fund-raising to cover our school's budget and require no volunteer hours," he said.

For parents looking for a strong college prep program, Charles Wright Academy offers a different kind of education to children in pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.  Although the school charges a hefty tuition - $14,900 for pre-k students and $20,125 for high school students - school officials say children are exposed to an enthusiastic learning environment that motivates them to learn.

"Children receive an unbelievable education at Charles Wright," Laura Pfafman, the assistant director of admissions at Charles Wright, said. "We take school seriously here, but we don't take ourselves seriously.  We offer all the things that most private schools offer - small classrooms and teachers who know the students and know how to motivate them."

Below is a list of some of the private schools in Pierce County.  Although many of the open house events have passed, most of the schools offer private tours and have other events scheduled throughout the school year.  

Catholic Schools


Non-Catholic private schools