Parents still seek the elusive 'right' school

Howard Blume & Carla Rivera:

When it comes to looking out for her children and grandchildren, Patricia Britt, a no-nonsense hospital nursing director, is nobody's fool. Yet here she is, in late July, beside herself because she hasn't yet settled on a school for her 8-year-old grandson Corey to attend in the fall.

Britt and her son, who are raising Corey together, gradually became dissatisfied with the private school that's putting a $400-a-month strain on the family budget. But they have concerns about the quality of the public schools close to their Hyde Park home. And schools that they do like, such as the View Park Preparatory charter school run by Inner City Education, have a discouragingly long waiting list.

"My son has been looking," Britt said. "He's getting kind of frustrated. It's almost to the 99th hour of making the decision."

No one knows exactly how many students are still without a school, but indicators show that the annual last-ditch scramble for a seat at a school of choice is in high gear:

Posted by Jim Zellmer at July 29, 2007 1:45 AM
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