This is the season for school enrollment. LET THE FUN BEGIN!
I had such a great time visiting private schools last year! Those listed here have been selected based on SoWashCo district attendance. I encourage you to dive in! Ask questions. Send emails. Attend an open house or two or three. Schedule a shadow day for your child. It doesn’t hurt to look. Commitment can happen as soon or as late as you wish. This can be a long road of discovery, and these schools are very patient with the process.
It took my family FIVE MONTHS to come to any solid conclusions. We took it one step at a time. Coming from the public school system, this was a huge change for my Middle School and High School kids. There is bound to be someone in the family who has reservations. That is normal. The more you walk, talk, and drive through this new idea of a routine together, the more natural it becomes. MAKE A LIST OF YOUR PRIORITIES, and have your kids do the same. Mine were 1) Theological family values, 2) Trust, 3) Balanced covid response, 4) Breadth of literature. Then MAKE A LIST OF OBSTACLES, and have your kids do the same. Mine were 1) Cost, 2) Daily commute & schedule (between two kids), 3) Child’s ability to acclimate.
Once you have given yourself the permission to look, then list out the PRO’s and CON’s of staying in public school versus going to your preferred private school. Maybe, through the process, you will decide this isn’t the path for you after all, and maybe your family will learn to embrace the school you currently attend. But maybe you will discover what has been missing from your child’s education all along, and your family will grow and become stronger than ever before.
You will find each school here has a different focus, which is what makes private schools so great! YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHAT IS THE BEST FIT FOR YOUR FAMILY! All have been contacted with three basic questions about funding, curriculum and focus. I will be updating this post as schools submit more information…
SHOWN IN ORDER OF PROXIMITY
WOODBURY
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://www.newlifeacademy.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
http://www.wlamn.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
PRIVATE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
https://school.saintambrosecatholic.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
ST PAUL PARK
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://hopechristianacademy.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
SAINT PAUL
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN MICRO SCHOOL
https://www.laurelcs.org/
FUNDING : We are funded by tuition fees and gifts from donors. We do not receive any funds from the state or federal government. We are a non-profit, registered with the MN Secretary of State.
CURRICULUM : We are using a curriculum that was developed based on the Charlotte Mason method. We believe our broad liberal arts curriculum meets or exceeds state standards.
WHY CHOOSE US : “Families choose Laurel Community School because of our small school environment and because we offer a content-rich curriculum that covers all of the core academic subjects but also includes art, music and ample time outdoors. Families also appreciate that we are Christ-centered, and our values and beliefs are compatible with theirs.”
Alfrieda Baldwin
MAPLEWOOD
PRIVATE CATHOLIC BENEDICTINE SCHOOL
https://www.hill-murray.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
WEST SAINT PAUL
PRIVATE LUTHERAN SCHOOL
https://colwsp.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://www.stcroixlutheran.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
EAGAN
PRIVATE CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://trinityriverridge.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
MENDOTA HEIGHTS
PRIVATE CATHOLIC PREP SCHOOL -All Boys
https://www.cadets.com/
FUNDING : (No response received. Please inquire from them directly.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
HUDSON, WI
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://trinityacademyofhudson.org/
FUNDING : (No response received. Most grade levels are full.)
CURRICULUM :
WHY CHOOSE US :
ROSEVILLE
PRIVATE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL
https://www.concordiaacademy.com/
FUNDING : We are not state or federal funded. We receive funding mainly through tuition and some third source funding (private donors and grants, etc.) We are a non-profit.
CURRICULUM : A combination of MN State Standards and MN Professional Education Standards. We are engaging a professional education consultant agency to help us do this again over the next year.
WHY CHOOSE US : “Families choose Concordia Academy to be a part of the rich Christ-centered community and Christian focused education. Students have the opportunity to excel in many areas and discover their God given talent and potential.”
Ria Thurston, Director of Admissions
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://northheights.academy/about-nhca/
FUNDING : The majority of our funding comes from family tuition payment. We are a ministry of North Heights Church and receive their financial contributions. Title II and IV help support staff and student development. We are 501C3 non-profit.
CURRICULUM : MN Standards are used as a guideline. Within their framework, we create and implement a rigorous Christ-Centered education.
WHY CHOOSE US : “North Heights is a safe environment where students thrive academically and have the opportunity to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Our community values knowing their children are part of a strong faith filled community that is striving to develop the next generation of leaders.”
Josh Thurston, Principal
STILLWATER
PRIVATE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://chestertonscv.org/
FUNDING : We are entirely self-funded, through tuition and the generosity of our donors. We are a certified non-profit.
CURRICULUM : We follow a classical curriculum model based upon the Chesterton School Network.
WHY CHOOSE US : “We are a small, vibrant, joyful Catholic School where students are held to and exceed our high standards. We take education, faith, and a joy-filled life seriously and our results are excellent.”
Timothy Gallic, Interim Principal
PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
https://www.stcroixprep.org/
FUNDING : St. Croix Prep is funded like a traditional Minnesota school district, except we do not receive the local tax levy dollars and we receive very few federal dollars. Generally speaking, we are funded at approximately 80% of the resident district. St. Croix Prep is a non-profit organization.
CURRICULUM : St. Croix Prep follows Minnesota standards with an emphasis on Core Knowledge in grades K-4, college prep in 9-12 (with over 20 AP classes) and our grades 5-8 forming the bridge in that transition.
WHY CHOOSE US : St. Croix Prep’s mission focuses on academics, character, and leadership. The School has been one of the state’s top performing schools since its inception in 2004, with a graduation rate and college acceptance rate of 95%.
Jon Gutierrez, Executive Director
WHITE BEAR LAKE
PRIVATE CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
https://libertyclassicalacademy.org/
FUNDING : Liberty Classical Academy is an independent school that does not rely on state or federal government funding and is not affiliated with any church and thus does not receive congregational or denominational funding or subsidies. Liberty Classical Academy is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
CURRICULUM : Learning at Liberty Classical Academy is more than a series of required courses meeting a state standard. Learning is sequential, cumulative and integrated. Our classical curriculum is designed according to an intentional sequence, and everything we study builds off the previous material and curriculum. Through the classical method, the foundation of knowledge is strengthened and reinforced at each level, allowing our students to better understand how the subjects relate to one another. It forges a path to wisdom and self-leadership…to living a life that inspires.
WHY CHOOSE US : Our families are drawn to Liberty because they know the values they uphold at home are reinforced at school, and the community that we have built as a result is unrivaled. K-12 students spend an average of 17,000 hours in school and we are committed to partnering with our families to ensure their children are receiving the highest quality of education in a way that best glorifies our almighty God.
Debbie Grill, Director of Advancement and Human Resources
If you don’t see a private or charter school on this list, and you would like to make a suggestion, please reach out to me. I am more than happy to talk to anyone who has questions about this process. The schools my husband and I chose for our family are Concordia Academy High School and North Heights Christian Academy in Roseville. They are just 10-15 minutes drive further up the highway from where my husband and I work. We have definitely made sacrifices in order to make finances and time work, but it is (hands down) one of the best parental decisions we’ve ever made.