Private schools seeking nationwide image change
By Alice Keesing and Jean Chow
Advertiser Staff Writers
Independent schools in Hawai'i and across the nation will embark on a campaign this fall to promote a more positive image of private education.
The National Association of Independent Schools is planning a catchy campaign like the dairy industry's "Got Milk?" success story.
While many view private schools as the privileged stepsister of struggling public schools, the NAIS believes some image-shaping is called for because of what it calls "increasing threats" from government incursions, teacher shortages and empty seats in some areas.
The Hawai'i Association of Independent Schools has committed $12,000 to help shape the campaign.
The HAIS and individual schools already have stepped up their marketing and promotional efforts, according to HAIS Executive Director Robert Witt. While Hawai'i private school rolls have remained around 32,500 in the past decade, the schools have had to work harder to fill the seats.
Private schools in Honolulu reported solid enrollment gains for fall, with stable to slightly higher enrollment noted by admissions directors and administrative officials in other parts of the state.
ASSETS School, St. Andrew's Priory and Academy of the Pacific, all in Honolulu, reported sizable increases.
"Our high school size has grown to 90, up from about 75 students last year, while our K-8 program remains stable at around 300," said ASSETS head of schools Lou Salza. "We're actually under pressure to grow now."
St. Andrew's Priory has about 500 students enrolled for the upcoming year, a "significant increase over last year's 450," said Sue Ann Wargo, director of admissions. Academy of the Pacific's enrollment climbed to about 135 from last year's 120 students, said Debbie Hornsby, assistant to the head of schools.
Those in other areas tell a somewhat different story.
"Our enrollment is pretty much the same, but we've noticed that there are not as many applicants this year as in the past," said Virginia Haines, director of admissions at Seabury Hall on Maui, noting the wavering economy. "It's not significant, but it's noticeable."
Witt believes there are still misconceptions about who the private schools serve, which has kept some parents away. It also may have contributed to what he calls a lack of "open-mindedness" by some lawmakers about private school money issues.
"People may think that private schools are only for rich kids," he said. "But the fact of the matter is that private schools are just as economically diverse as public schools."
Nancy White, the head at La Pietra, agrees. More than 40 percent of students at the girls' school receive some form of tuition aid, she said. That number rises to as high as 70 percent statewide, Witt said.
One aim of the campaign will be to convince parents that private schooling can be affordable and that it can offer specialized help for children who aren't doing well in the public school environment.
The aim is not to put private schools in competition with public schools, Witt said. In fact, the association's efforts to attract young people into the teaching field can only help, he said.
"I don't think we view it as competition," agreed Karen Knudsen, Board of Education second vice chairwoman. "I think people see private schools as being able to do some things differently, and that's fine."
Staff writer Jennifer Hiller contributed to this report.
