During the past decade enrollment has been rising in religious schools in Willow Glen and throughout the Bay Area. And the reasons for this occurrence range from concerns for campus safety to a preference for the teachings of religious doctrine. Even though there are several distinguished, award-winning public schools in the Willow Glen area, some parents still opt to send their children to religious schools.


Public or religious school

Administrators at religious schools say the attractiveness of smaller classes, a greater amount of one-on-one attention and a higher level of discipline are also significant factors in a family's decision to send their child to a private institution.

A recent survey of several religious schools in Willow Glen seems to confirm this trend.

Willow Glen's St. Christopher School is at maximum enrollment, with 615 students. The school has a waiting list, and there is no room to expand the campus, which is located on the corner of Booksin and Curtner avenues, says Principal Cathy Parent.

Presentation High School, located at 2281 Plummer Ave., is also experiencing the largest enrollment in its history, with 748 students and a waiting list at all grade levels.

Willow Vale Christian Center, 1730 Curtner Ave., opened six years ago with a preschool class on the campus of Willow Vale Community Church and has added a grade level each year since its opening. Fourth grade was added in 2002 and next year the school will offer fifth grade. There are plans to add a junior high school in the future, says preschool teacher Stephanie Vargas.

But public school administrators disagree with the belief that private schools offer a better education and more discipline. San Jose Unified School District Director of Student Assessment Luis Gonzales says Willow Glen public schools have "high academic standards."

He acknowledges that there was an overall decline in public school enrollment last year but attributes it to the decline in the economy, which has caused families to move away. He also mentions a lower birth rate.

Although Willow Glen Middle School is considered large at 1,200 students, the school has some classes with as few as 29 students, and it has improved its test scores in the past year, says Willow Glen Middle School Principal Darla Briggs.

Briggs also says public schools see discipline and problem resolution as high priorities, and she points out that Willow Glen Middle School has a dean of discipline and a discipline advisor at each grade level. The school even removed its caffeinated beverages and candy bars from the vending machines this year in order to keep the children calmer.

"We're just as strict when it comes to discipline as private schools," she says. "We're really focused on the standards, and kids know what's expected of them in regard to learning and discipline."

Briggs adds that there is a "zero tolerance" rule pertaining to fights, scuffles and verbal harassment. Students who violate this rule are suspended or expelled or receive counseling, depending on the situation.

Safety is also considered "excellent" at WGMS, Briggs says, with administrators, parent volunteers, a dean of discipline, a San Jose police officer and three campus supervisors on campus throughout the day.

Schallenberger School is also very safe, says Principal Margie Payne-Graves. Staff members watch the children at all times, students travel in pairs to the restroom and there is email in every classroom to keep communication open in the event of an emergency. The disciplinary system includes timeouts, suspension and expulsions.

"The expectation is that no child will take learning away from other students in the class," Payne-Graves says. "If they do there are consequences, like being sent to a timeout chair or the office."

Many families mention that learning about religion is another important factor when deciding to send their child to a religious school.

Religious courses are offered daily at St. Christopher School. There is a daily prayer program and either a worship service or Mass twice a month.

Parent says St. Christopher School "attempts to move students along at a good pace," but there are two staff members who can work with those who fall behind.

First priority in enrollment is given to those with siblings in the school, followed by members of the parish. Willow Glen resident Dodd Portman is a member of the parish and sends his two sons to St. Christopher School.

He says it "makes a difference to have an underlying spiritual constant as well as high academics in education" and tuition cost "isn't an issue."

"I hope the number one reason parents would send there children here is because they would want Catholic faith as part of their child's education," says Parent, who has been principal for two years at St. Christopher School and spent 21 years as a principal in Seattle, Wash. "The secondary reason is the strong academic program. I chose to become principal at this school because of the strong faculty and sense of community."

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Hat Trick: Students on the playground of St. Christopher School create their own version of hockey during recess time. At 615 students, the school is filled to capacity.

After working for 17 years she took the last year off to spend time with her children. She and her husband recognize that a private education requires a significant financial commitment, but it's a decision they wanted to make.

After a bad experience with her oldest son, Matthew, 11, who has special learning needs and was attending public kindergarten for six months, the family chose to transfer him to a private school. The kindergarten teacher at the public school said she didn't have enough time to concentrate on each student, Brewer says.

"We want to provide our children with the best foundation possible," says Brewer, who graduated from St. Christopher School and Presentation High School. "Generally the public school institution has more challenges to deal with, like broken homes, violence in homes and even kids not getting breakfast. Often teachers are babysitting and not teaching. I'm not saying private schools don't have their problems, but their hands aren't as tied with discipline issues."


Religious schools sprout up

While St. Christopher School and Presentation High School have been in Willow Glen for decades, Willow Vale Christian Center is only six years old.

With only 112 students enrolled, Willow Vale Christian Center still has room for more students in its preschool, third and fourth grades. Since it opened it has continued to expand, remodeling buildings and classrooms as it makes room for new classes.

Students at the school come from throughout the Silicon Valley, and when they graduate from the elementary school, they attend a variety of different public or private schools.

Membership in the affiliated church is not a requirement. Students come from a variety of religions and faiths, according to co-administrator Carollyn Ellis.

The Willow Vale Christian Center's denomination is free Methodist, but students who have attended the school include Buddhists.

"We teach Bible stories and values that most families teach, like honesty and integrity," says Ellis, who has worked at the school for five years. "Our goal is to build the child's sense of self-worth and confidence and to coincide with the church by developing the child as a whole person mentally, academically and spiritually."

Ellis says that unlike some public schools, students are required to wear a uniform and students "learn to treat others with respect. We do not allow name calling or fighting on the playground."

Like Brewer, some parents have chosen to enroll their children in Willow Vale Christian Center after a bad experience in public school, says Linda Ramirez, a secretary at the center. Either the public school wasn't teaching the student well or the parents wanted more individualized instruction and fewer students per class.

"I had my daughter in public school and they would just give her the work and not help her with it," says Vargas, whose 10-year-old daughter now attends Willow Vale Christian Center. "Parents tell me we give the kids more loving care than in public school, and since we're a small campus, it's safer. We know if anyone suspicious is walking around. It's a closed campus, so we can keep an eye on the kids."

Vargas says teachers are committed to students, staying after school to help with homework. In addition to academic assistance, the teachers also offer solutions to personal problems, she says.

Some single mothers say their sons get upset about not having a father and the teachers offer advice, Vargas says.

"There is a relationship at this school—they're not just a teacher," Vargas says. "They are a teacher and mentor both."


Religious schools can be costly

With the slow economy, the cost of private school tuition may be a deterrent for many parents. But Vargas says Willow Vale Christian Center is an "affordable" private school, with $375 per month tuition for kindergarten through fourth grade. Preschool is $130 per week, and there is a $40 registration fee. The school also offers after-school daycare until 6 p.m., which is included in the monthly fee.

As a member of the Association of Christian Schools International—which includes 5,315 schools in 98 countries—Willow Vale Christian Center also offers financial aid. An association fund provides scholarships so that economically disadvantaged students can attend Christian schools in their community.

At Presentation High, a Catholic all-girls school in Willow Glen, $256,000 in financial aid is awarded annually. The price of tuition for the 2002­03 school year is $8,100.

"The need for financial aid goes up as the economy gets worse and people are out of work," says Principal Mary Miller. "Parents say they send their daughters here because of the high academic standards, the safe and nurturing environment and the religious morals we teach. This is not just a school but a community. We share morals and a common vision."

Presentation parent Celeste Martin Melehan says parents can also assist in the financial aid process. She took a year's leave of absence from work to help prepare for the Presentation High School fashion show in March. All proceeds from the fashion show go toward the scholarship fund. She hopes the event will raise more than $50,000 this year.

"Private school education is a financial commitment parents make, and it's important to have money available because we don't want those who don't have the money not to be able to go because of lack of funds," she says. "Situations can change quickly, like parents getting laid off work. One student was diagnosed with cancer, so a lot of that family's money is going toward her health care."


After a religious education

Many students go on to private colleges, Miller says. While 100 percent attend college, around 85 percent go to four-year colleges. These include University of California schools, Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Julia Melehan, a senior at Presentation High School, has been accepted by three of the six private colleges she has applied to.

Her mother, Martin Melehan, says sending her daughter to private school is well worth it.

"With the separation of church and state in the public school, I wanted my daughter to get a moral and ethical framework," Martin Melehan says. "The scores are also higher at this school in reading, math and science than in public schools."

A private school education at St. Christopher School and Presentation High School helped Marylee Brewer in her adult life and professional career, she says.

"As I've grown and gone through challenges in my life in the business environment, doing the moral thing was not always as popular," says Brewer, who has remained friends with her Willow Glen schoolmates. "But I feel that I'm living my life well because of the values that were instilled in private school when I was young."