Private schools in Seattle have never been more popular than today, according to U.S. census bureau data analyzed by The Seattle Times in September. The paper reports that Seattle ranks second in the nation in private school enrollment (behind only San Francisco), with one in every four students registered in a private school. In comparison, the national average sits at one in every 6.8 students.
While UPrep has seen a major increase in students, Director of Enrollment Management Ryan Hannon does not believe that these Seattle school statistics are related.
“Our enrollment growth is based on the additional capacity we now have because of the ULab,” Hannon said. “We were able to add about 40 new students to ninth grade this year. Our application numbers and inquiry numbers, they increase year over year, but I wouldn’t say they’re outside of the norm.”
Hannon also noted UPrep has not seen significant change across the admission ratios of public to private schools.
“Historically, UPrep has about 50% of our students joining us from independent, private or parochial schools, and 50% joining us from public schools,” Hannon said.
Senior Charlotte Campau, who joined UPrep from Roosevelt High School in junior year, believes there are many more chances to engage in academic passions at UPrep.
“There’s a lot more opportunity to do things that you’re specifically interested in here,” Campau said.
Sophomore Noah Hall, who transfered from Hamilton International Middle Schoollast year, shared Campau’s rationale.
“It was a hard choice for me to make because basically everybody I knew was going to Lincoln, Ballard or other public schools,” Hall said. “But my family really encouraged me to seek the best school that I could get into.”
A majority of students surveyed have similar reasons for moving away from public school. 42 of 68 UPrep upper school students, who attended public school at some point and responded to a Puma Press poll, identified better education as their primary reason for switching to private school.
“The work is harder, but I think the stress is less, because the teachers here are more on your side to succeed,” Campau said. “There’s much less students here and there’s a lot more personal attention. So, the rigor is definitely a lot harder, but I feel more supported.”
Overall however, Hannon feels like his fellow educators work hard to create ideal learning environments.
“I think we’re all invested in having strong school choices,” Hannon said. “Whether it be public, private, independent or parochial.”
Hannon attributes Seattle’s higher rates of private school enrollment to the general lifestyle of local families.
“I think there’s a strong culture in the city of sending students to independent schools,” Hannon said. “And I think it’s probably the same in San Francisco also. Even like when I worked in New York there was a strong culture of sending the students to independent schools.”
According to Hannon, the connection between Seattle families and private schools has been a theme for years before the census data.
“I think it’s one of those things that’s rooted in tradition,” Hannon said. “Families are very comfortable sending their students to independent schools.”
Hall sees this pattern about attending private schools, not just in the statistics but in his peers.
“I can see other people, like, maybe more migrating to private schools,” Hall said. “And I knew a lot of kids that went to public school that were kind of like me, they couldn’t really see themselves going to public school for another four years.”
