Jackson Area Private Schools

[Faustdog]

Lots of talk and rumors swirling about the future of the Jackson area private schools.

The old order of Prep, occasionally challenged by JA, then everyone else is a thing of the past.

Prep's enrollment actually decreased this year. MRA has overtaken them athletically. Some notable alumni are sending kids to St. Andrews and MRA. Hartfield is building a monster right down the road and taking some of the more well-heeled Rankin County kids that traditionally would have gone to Prep.

Prep officially announced their long rumored elementary school this week. Is this just to get the Brandon kids before Hartfield gets their hooks in them? And what's this do to First Pres? So much for that 50+ year relationship. It seems desperate.

Really tough spot for Prep and JA as population continues to shift, with St. Andrews and MRA walling them off to the north and Hartfield to the east.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

If it looks like a duck...

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS

Lots of talk and rumors swirling about the future of the Jackson area private schools.

The old order of Prep, occasionally challenged by JA, then everyone else is a thing of the past.

Prep's enrollment actually decreased this year. MRA has overtaken them athletically. Some notable alumni are sending kids to St. Andrews and MRA. Hartfield is building a monster right down the road and taking some of the more well-heeled Rankin County kids that traditionally would have gone to Prep.

Prep officially announced their long rumored elementary school this week. Is this just to get the Brandon kids before Hartfield gets their hooks in them? And what's this do to First Pres? So much for that 50+ year relationship. It seems desperate.

Really tough spot for Prep and JA as population continues to shift, with St. Andrews and MRA walling them off to the north and Hartfield to the east.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

Driving down Ridgewood has just gotten depressing. Last time I saw it was 8 months ago, but lots of boarded up houses. The less safe that area becomes, the fewer kids they’re going to have. If First Pres ever shut down, I’d imagine that’d shift some people to JA both for elementary and high school. There’s a decent number of Prep families in Meadowbrook/Eastover who are Prep families because they go to First Pres for church

 

[Junction John]

Hartfield is already getting them earlier starting with K3. But I do think Prep has an issue being the only one out of that group so far removed from its elementary feeder school.

Man, if it happened, Prep severing the tie with 1st Pres would be big blow to Jackson.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

It absolutely amazes me the number of families in metro Jackson that choose to make the financial commitment required to send multiple kids to Prep, JA, & St Andrew’s. I guess that I just totally misunderstand the number of folks in the area at that income level.

 

[047Dog]

WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS

and kids that can't make their sports teams. We are the champions of the 3 other teams we play against every year!!!

 

[Smoked Toag]

WHITE PEOPLE PROBLEMS

I laughed, but it would be really nice if people like you would quit referring to this stuff as white and black. Maybe just rich people's problems? Because I'm lilly white and this sure isn't my problem, and there are a lot of brown and black families in and around Jacktown with more money than me. And I don't like being associated with Prep because of the color of my skin.

Sort of makes YOU the racist, amirite?

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Would it really be a big blow?

What's 1st Pres's enrollment numbers been like the past few years?

 

[Faustdog]

..If First Pres ever shut down, I’d imagine that’d shift some people to JA both for elementary and high school. There’s a decent number of Prep families in Meadowbrook/Eastover who are Prep families because they go to First Pres for church

This is true. I think the elementary school move is short-sighted. You have a de facto elementary school as it is that's still sending you a good portion of the Jackson kids. Those kids, if FPDS does survive, will have no tie or sense of loyalty to Prep. I hope FPDS survives. It's a great little school.

 

[sandwolf.sixpack]

High school tuition:

JA - $16,380
Prep - $15,573
MRA - $11,490
Hartfield - $9,350

This may have something to do with it.

 

[Smoked Toag]

High school tuition:

JA - $16,380
Prep - $15,573
MRA - $11,490
Hartfield - $9,350

This may have something to do with it.

St. Andrews is like 22K.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

The popularity of Pinelake Church is one of the main drivers behind Hartfield's exponential growth. But it seems that growth at MRA, JA and the smaller private schools is hurting Prep too. It is my understanding that Christ Covenant (1st - 8th) in Ridgeland is adding a high school, which will mean even more competition. We are public school people, but we're not anti private school, it is good to have options. I do think that especially in MS, good public schools drive good communities, so I think that private schools can be a negative also.

 

[Junction John]

No idea of enrollment numbers. I just meant a blow to the area in other ways. There might be some retail effect, and maybe just psychologically, but not having all those kids and parents having to come into Jackson every day, and instead headed east on Lakeland will be felt. Lots of traffic from people outside Belhaven who have money that would stop being on State Street every single weekday, twice a day.

 

[FQDawg]

Lots of talk and rumors swirling about the future of the Jackson area private schools.

The old order of Prep, occasionally challenged by JA, then everyone else is a thing of the past.

Prep's enrollment actually decreased this year. MRA has overtaken them athletically. Some notable alumni are sending kids to St. Andrews and MRA. Hartfield is building a monster right down the road and taking some of the more well-heeled Rankin County kids that traditionally would have gone to Prep.

Prep officially announced their long rumored elementary school this week. Is this just to get the Brandon kids before Hartfield gets their hooks in them? And what's this do to First Pres? So much for that 50+ year relationship. It seems desperate.

Really tough spot for Prep and JA as population continues to shift, with St. Andrews and MRA walling them off to the north and Hartfield to the east.

Man, if there is something I can't summon even one ounce of concern for, it's white flight segregation academies. 17 'em all, for all I care.

 

[Cooterpoot]

If MS got it's way, government money would help pay that tuition. Then the elitists would have to really rethink things.

 

[sandwolf.sixpack]

St. Andrews is like 22K.

Yea St. Andrews is a completely different ball game.

 

[Dawgfan61]

It absolutely amazes me the number of families in metro Jackson that choose to make the financial commitment required to send multiple kids to Prep, JA, & St Andrew’s. I guess that I just totally misunderstand the number of folks in the area at that income level.

If you actually reside in Jackson and the choice for your kids is Murrah or Prep and JA??? I mean cmon man. Which do you think better prepares them academically.

 

[Smoked Toag]

If you actually reside in Jackson and the choice for your kids is Murrah or Prep and JA??? I mean cmon man. Which do you think better prepares them academically.

Not only that, but if you CAN afford Prep or JA, you're almost dumb not to provide that. The success rate is pretty high.

I know that the students ultimately make the school, but at any one point in time, it's a reality.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Disagree. The schools would gladly accept the financial help and elitists of all stripes wouldn't mind having to pay less as long as there's a high quality education.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

Grew up in Jackson and went to private school there. I could fortunately probably afford private school for my kids if I moved back. But the first question is my algorithm is "Do I want to move my family inside Jackson city limits?" The answer to that right now is hell no. Then I'd pick the place I want to live in the suburbs (likely north of Jackson) and see what the convenient private school options are and compare them to the public schools and make the call based on that. I wouldn't live in a suburb and send my kids to school at JA or Prep, and that's coming from someone who went to one of them. And where I'm living now, my kids are going to public school 100%.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

I agree with that from the time I was at them, but my impression is that the quality of students has spread a bit since I was there. MRA used to be "the public school you have to pay for" but doesn't feel that way now. National merit numbers and whatnot aren't what they were 15-20 years ago

 

[thatsbaseball]

By "elitists" do you mean people who work, pay taxes and would like for some of those taxes to help provide their children with a quality education in areas there are no public schools capable of doing that ?

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I thought about asking what he meant by elitists too but then I thought what would *any* elitist would do in that situation.

 

[mstateglfr]

I laughed, but it would be really nice if people like you would quit referring to this stuff as white and black. Maybe just rich people's problems? Because I'm lilly white and this sure isn't my problem, and there are a lot of brown and black families in and around Jacktown with more money than me. And I don't like being associated with Prep because of the color of my skin.

Sort of makes YOU the racist, amirite?

Quick google numbers

Jackson Prep is 96.5% white
Jackson Academy is 85% white
MRA is 95% white
Saint Andrews 80% white

Not exclusively white people problems, but not super far off either.
You wanting it to be viewed as 'well off people's problems' is probably a small bit more accurate.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Elitists used to have to be millionaires....now they just have jobs **