Why choose Private Schools?

Why do many Weston Middle School students leave the district, opting for Private High Schools after 8th grade?  While the obvious advantages of private schools compared to public schools are heavily noticeable in many cities and other locations with heavy education disparities, the difference between local private high schools and WHS is less obvious. This poses the question on why such a large percentage of Weston students are opting out of WHS. 

SAT Misconception

Most highschool students take the SAT, regardless of attendance to Private or Public Schools. The top private school in Massachusetts, Phillips Academy Andover has an average SAT score of 1480. Compared to Weston’s average SAT score of 1340, this is a definite improvement. However, this is a skewed statistic due to Phillips Academy having testing requirements to enroll, meaning they are expected to have heightened SAT scores. We cannot compare SAT scores between schools that have enrollment requirements and ones that don’t, such as WHS. 

Sports

One of the most popular assumptions of why students opt out of WHS is due to our schools limited athletics, according to a poll. This is very reasonable, as WHS has no Division 1 or 2 teams, leaving many student athletes in an uncompetitive division. Any student wanting to pursue an athletic career would have much better success in that field in a private school that specializes in athletics. 

Parents Choice

Many parents are alumni of Massachusetts private schools, and wanting their kids to pursue in their footsteps is a reasonable thing to expect. Especially if the parents had a positive experience at the school, it becomes a requirement for their kids. Parents may also make the decision to change their kids' districts for other reasons. In the poll given to WHS asking them why their peers left the district, a multitude of responses stated the transfer was for a “new leaf.” A change in social setting can benefit a lot of students whilst making the tough transition from middle school to high school.