Private schools seeing uptick in tours and inquiries for the upcoming school year

COVID-19 is forcing parents to make tough choices when it comes to deciding to send kids back to the classroom or stay at home. But private schools have become another option for worried parents.

Dennis Chapman is the head of school for the Village School of Naples, and he thinks more parents are turning to private schools this year because of the low classroom sizes.

Chapman says the Village School of Naples has seen a significant increase in tours and inquiries. Most of those inquiries are coming from parents with elementary school-aged children.

Chapman thinks this is because the school is able to keep lower class sizes, making social distancing easier, and putting parents’ minds at ease.

Parents like Stephanie Blower are also worried about the mask mandates put in public schools, while the Village School of Naples is only requiring masks when social distancing isn’t possible. Blower’s daughter is starting kindergarten at the Village School this month.

“We obviously want her to be in a safe environment and I understand masks and social distancing but I think the thing was how can we compromise to where everyone is safe including the teachers but also where she’s not going into an environment where she’s like ‘what’s going on around me with all of these people who have goggles and masks on’”, Blower said.

“We are really trying to make this feel as normal as possible for our children,” said Chapman.

The Village School of Naples plans to start the school year on Thursday, August 13.

Collier County Public Schools students are expected back at the end of the month.