Christian school sues single parent for tuition -child didnt attend
Complaint
jules
Country: United States
I signed my child up to attend Marshall Academy in Holly Springs MS, last May. Yes, I signed a tuition contract. In June she injured her knee, and was going to miss the first couple months of school. At that point, we decided to homeschool this year because of her injury. I told MA. I heard nothing until more than 2 months into the school year, when they wrote me I owed them the tuition. SO 1) it was too late for me to send ally anyway, they made sure of that 2) couple years previous another daughter had been signed up but didnt go and I wasnt sued for tuition and 2) yes, legally right to use... but Morally?
The Christian school goes after the single parent when they had no moral right to that money! So I followed a lawyers advice and let her respond. Next thing I knew, I was served and eventually forced to come up with the money or I would be sued. Now this is a small town and these people are supposed to be my neighbors ! They exerted no effort at all for my daughter - she was not in the budget, she was never tested or assigned any classes.
Wow, guess just because the door says Christian school, doesnt mean that is what goes on inside!
The Christian school goes after the single parent when they had no moral right to that money! So I followed a lawyers advice and let her respond. Next thing I knew, I was served and eventually forced to come up with the money or I would be sued. Now this is a small town and these people are supposed to be my neighbors ! They exerted no effort at all for my daughter - she was not in the budget, she was never tested or assigned any classes.
Wow, guess just because the door says Christian school, doesnt mean that is what goes on inside!
Comments
The school board was having problems with people registering for school and then not honoring their contracts. So, for example, 28 people might sign up for third grade and the school would hire two teachers. Then 22 people would show up and the school would have hired an extra teacher it did not need. A few years ago the school board just decided a contract was a contract and would be honored. It is not the duty of the school to serve as an insurer should bad things happen to those who sign attendance contracts. There is nothing un-Christian about expecting people to honor their contracts.
A little about the history of the school. It has always been a Christian school in the sense that there has been prayer and Bible reading. Six or eight years ago the school decided to increase the religious emphasis somewhat. Although the student body is now five to seven percent black, the school began with the court orders requiring a unitary school system for Holly Springs. At that time, in 1968, the Holly Springs school district was 70 percent black. Today I would guess the school-age population is 92-95 percent black and the public schools are 99 percent black (today most M.A. students come from outside the Holly Springs system). Various court orders forbade any type of achievement grouping. I know of no school system anywhere in the United States that has been successfully integrated with 70 percent poor blacks and 30 percent mostly middle-class whites. Our parents and grandparents were prescient in realizing that this grand social experiment would fail miserably. Many whites have now moved away from the area, but if it weren't for Marshall Academy none would remain.
As for the comments on school quality, the elementary school at Marshall is quite good. Math instruction has always been a bit lacking. Language arts has always been a strong point and I am surprised to see a former student say she wasn't prepared for college. Perhaps there was a lax year or two. The decision on whether or not Marshall is a good fit will vary depending on the parents and the ability of the child.
Concerning the original poster, since her daughter had to be home schooled for two months, and since she says she wasn't contacted for two months, there should be no loss. I'm sure she could have worked with the school to have her daughter do her work at home and then join her class after she recovered. In that way she could have honored her contract instead of getting on here to quack-quack-quack about how the school done her wrong.
Marshall has Nothing for these kids, I had a physical therapist come in once a week for my son.well he was retained in kindergarten, this year he went to first and let tell you I have never been so upset...Oh words cannot describe how I feel. My son was treated miserably.....his seat was put in the back of the room away from the other kids, he was handed papers to write all day, the Teacher insisted he was autistic, which out Dr responded by having brain tests, genetic tests.. The whole 9 yards, then he wrote a letter stating that my son was NOT autistic....they still said they disagreed, also I told the teacher that he came home and asked me "mommy am I stupid " her response was " He Knows ". Needless to say I have pulled him out of Marshall and pulled him out of Marshall and placed him in public school.... Where he is thriving! They are working with him one on one......his teachers are so good to him! It's great to see him eager to go to school now!
To help you do the math, tuition at Marshall Academy is around $6,000. The type of one-on-one education you are describing costs anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 per year. At public school this is funded by the taxpayers; Marshall Academy has no access to such funds. I'm sure if you were to approach Marshall and agree to pay $25,000 or so per year in tuition in exchange for them providing your child with the services he needs that they would be obliging.
Almost all of the children at Marshall are above average. There are few low-ability students and few geniuses. The school is not equipped or able to serve children with serious learning or behavioral disabilities. I think the school points this out in their handbook, and I would urge parents to read it before enrolling their child.