Enrollment at Delaware’s private schools experienced an uptick in 2013, the first overall increase in more than a decade, according to figures from the Delaware Department of Education.
According to the DOE’s annual enrollment report, the number of private school attendees was 18,790, a gain of 2.9 percent over 2012’s total of 18,263. The enrollment report for 2014 will be released at the end of the year.
It’s still a long way to go from 2004’s total enrollment of 24,939 students, but according to officials, it’s a step in the right direction.
“We have a waiting list,” said Ursuline President Cathie Field Lloyd. “We haven’t had a waiting list since 2009.
For Archmere Academy, it’s similar. Calling it a “blockbuster” year at the Catholic college-prep institution, officials reported 315 applicants for 143 seats last year ““ numbers that exceeded all previous years and resulted in a waiting list ““ the first in a long time.
As director of admissions for Archmere Academy, Kristin Mumford said that the recession forced the financial hand of parents and numbers fell by roughly 30 to 40 students.
“We were about 525 and then bottomed out at 475,” she said. “Then about two years ago in 2012 we saw an increase again and a much bigger freshman class,” said Mumford, an Archmere alum.
With average private school tuition around $10,000 that’s good news. According to the U.S. Department of Education, private school tuition averages for the 2011-2012 school was, on average, $7,770 for elementary schools, $13,030 for secondary schools.
Ursuline Academy, which serves ages 3 through 12th grade, also has a waiting list. During the recession, Field said that saw a reduction in numbers at the lower school as some parents pulled back from primary school private education. In addition, the school halted major improvement projects and tightened their belts, according to Field.
“I’m really thrilled to say that we didn’t have a deficit through all those years,” said Field. “We managed by very careful spending.”
At Salesianum School in Wilmington, applications have increased, and so has financial support for the school, said Mark Winchell, director of admissions.
According to the state DOE 2012 enrollment report, Delaware’s Diocesan enrollment dropped by more than 10 percent from 2011 to 2012 — from 7,211 to 6,441. But in 2013, enrollment in Diocesan schools rose from 6,441 students to 6,518.
Private Catholic schools also experienced a small increase in 2013, with overall enrollment from 2,225 students to 2,259.
Broken down by county, New Castle County Private Schools enrolled 14,097 students, Kent County enrolled 3,064 students, and Sussex County reported 1,629 students enrolled in private schools.
Nationally, private schools represent about 24 percent of schools in the nation and educate about 9 percent of the students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Still, roughly 85 percent of families with an income of more than $75,000 a year still opt for public school.
The Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS) is a nonprofit membership organization of 130 independent private schools, including Delaware.
“We work to support and strengthen our member schools through professional development for leadership, and informing parents about independent education and working to make our schools accessible to a wide range of families,” explained ADVIS Executive Director Barbara Kraus-Blackney.
“I would say that Delaware’s numbers are reflective of the larger region,” Kraus-Blackney explained. “We cautiously attribute the uptick to the gradually improving economy. Our strategy for weathering the recession was to look closely at budgets, increase financial assistance to families where we could, and “right size” in terms of school size and relevant expenditures.”
At Tower Hill School in Wilmington, enrollment overall did not decrease, holding steady between 730 and 750 students, according to Director of Admissions Kelly DeShane.
“What we’ve seen is a big increase in upper school and a little bit in middle, and a slight decrease in elementary,” said DeShane, who said that Tower Hill School recently completed a new math and science center. Applications overall have increased 37 percent since 2007 while enrollment has increased 28 percent.
DeShane said that the school also draws students from neighboring states.
“We see an increased demand from wider geographic dispersions,” he said. This year’s student body includes kids from Bear and as far south as Middletown, as well as students from neighboring southern New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
“People are looking for different options and the right fit for their child and are willing to travel a little bit if they find the right fit,” he said.
Touting Tower Hill’s strong endowment program, which dipped only slightly during the recession, the school was able to add programming.
