<p>Actually, much better…</p>
<p>About the same. Also, I see little to change my mind that the US economy remains in decline.</p>
<p>I believe post #58 applies now more than ever.</p>
<p>I tend to agree.</p>
<p>How are those development offices doing since 2008?</p>
<p>Periwinkle’s link from 2009 that talks about people pulling kids from private schools in MA because (some) PSs are a better value is stunning. Mind you, the communities that have schools that can compete with privates are only affordable to a select few anyway. I would be curious to know if applications from elsewhere (where the PSs are not so good) are way up while local applications are down.</p>
<p>I don’t know if it’s been a widespread phenomenon. I did find this through Google: [Enrollment</a> Up at Two Newton Independent Schools - Newton, MA Patch](<a href=“http://newton.patch.com/articles/enrollment-up-at-two-newton-independent-schools]Enrollment”>Enrollment Up at Two Newton Independent Schools | Newton, MA Patch).</p>
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<p>Newton’s public schools enjoy a fine reputation. A private school draws students from outside the town’s boundaries, of course, so increasing enrollment in a private school need not come from the nearest public schools.</p>
<p>Some schools have closed, due to declining enrollment. The MacDuffie School sold itself to a for-profit company. It will move to Granby: [MacDuffie</a> School to retain name after move to former St. Hyacinth site in Granby | masslive.com](<a href=“http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/macduffie_school_to_retain_nam.html]MacDuffie”>MacDuffie School to retain name after move to former St. Hyacinth site in Granby - masslive.com).
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<p>The Bartlett School closed in 2009. [Bartlett</a> School parents seek investigation - Waltham - Your Town - Boston.com](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/waltham/2009/06/bartlett_school_parents_seek_i.html]Bartlett”>http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/waltham/2009/06/bartlett_school_parents_seek_i.html) The Carroll School bought the campus, and expanded its operations. So, while some schools are suffering from declining enrollment, others are able to increase their enrollment.</p>
<p>It’s not just enrollment, but the endowments are shrinking for many schools. There just isn’t as much philanthropic cash to go around. Can you imagine huge tax increases and what that might do to our beloved institutions?</p>
<p>Without delving too much into politics, the good news is that these private institutions are just that, private and not run by the government, in which case they would have floundered long ago. The school’s financial managers are frugal and smarter when it comes to their money as are the Washington politicians with “their” finances as opposed to other people’s money (ours).</p>
<p>The schools will get hit but it’s not like no one saw it coming. I’m confident the hit won’t be that bad, it shouldn’t be.</p>
<p>Amen @Ops.</p>
<p>Funds are tight with all our kids in tuition based schools but we make it a priority to contribute to the annual funds for that very reason! Money is managed better at boarding school than the feds and the kids are the beneficiaries (unlike public school where they are simply treated like a means to an end.)</p>