Interest in private schools is up

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Lexington’s virus numbers have been rising since mid-May and that’s one of the reasons Fayette County Public Schools decided to begin the school year with online classes only, no one in buildings.

But it’s a different story for a lot of private schools that are not only going back into the classroom, but seeing more parents interested in enrolling their children.

It’s a nationwide trend. As the number of coronavirus cases go up so do the number of parents interested in sending their kids to private school.

“We have had more interest in our school than we ever had and we’ve been here for 40 years,” says RandiLynn Tucker, head of Lexington Montessori School.

Tucker says interest in her school has doubled since last summer.

“Parents are just looking for environments where I think they will have more information, more security in what is able to be done,” says Tucker.

She has new students coming from public school, she says for the learning style, more definite plans, and because of parents worried their kids might fall behind.

But with the small size of the montessori school, Tucker has set a student capacity.

“I would never put full enrollment in any of my classrooms this year. No one, not one of my teachers, myself, our parent board, no one feels comfortable with that,” says Tucker.

But now, they’ll be able to focus on safety and keeping students six feet apart.

“It’s easier for us to keep an eye on if somebody doesn’t have their mask the right way,” says Tucker.

With state restrictions on primary care the school’s had to cut its primary classroom size in half.

“I have a waiting list for my primary. There are parents who need that care that are finding it very difficult,” says Tucker.

She says that also takes a blow to their budget.

Even with the all the rules and the new safety precautions like temperature taking and social distancing, Tucker says they’re trying to make the in-school experience as normal as possible when classes begin August 19th despite the pandemic.

“We’ll just look back and hopefully say we did the best we could,” says Tucker.