My kids are currently in pre-k and kindergarten at public school. We moved to a new city about 2 hours away in January from where we previously lived, because 1. It was closer to my husbands work and 2. We owned the apartment building we lived in but I could t take living in an apartment anymore with 2 kids, 1 on the way and noisy/nosey tenants. I had no clue about the area we were moving to. Yes, I know I should’ve done more research on the place we were moving to so that’s on me but it’s not a great area but the housing market is shit. I’ve met teenagers in the area and they are just crazy. Guns, drugs, teenage pregnancies, just doing horrible stuff. Not saying teenage pregnancy is horrible just have met teenagers pregnant with no intentions of doing better with their life. I really don’t want my kids going to public school being around all of that like I did. I was not a great kid in high school and neither was my husband. My brother and sister went to private school and they’ve turned out to be very successful. My dilemma is either I send them to public school, teach them right from wrong and hope they stick to it, worry about school shootings, but they have a great athletic program and my children are very into athletics.

OR - send them to catholic school (only private school in the area). I was raised Catholic and I don’t want to give money to the church as I have my opinions about the church as my father was one of the boys molested by a Preist when he was young. No athletic programs. BUT I don’t have to worry as much about school shooting and bad influences as far as kids who act bad due to bad parenting (which I have seen in the area) and a better education, chances of a better college scholarship if that’s the path they choose (not pushing for college for them at all as I have a college degree and do nothing with it and my husband has a GED and went to trade school and makes more money than me).

****to add homeschooling is not an option I think. I’d love to but my husband and I both have to work for a living and I do work from home but I don’t think I’d be able to swing it. I have a high position at a bank and am on meetings multiple times a week & have to go into the office on occasion, 1 time a week to send out our mail and on occasion if a senior executive is in town and I have to meet with them. If you do have any tips on how I could make that work please let me know. My son also has some special needs we are working towards getting a diagnosis on.

**also to add. The school shootings just scare me to death. I have nightmares of them.