The Charlotte Observer recently published an op/ed piece that I wrote encouraging parents to look at private school tuition as an investment, not an expense:

Private school tuition a lasting investment

As the director of admission and financial aid at a local independent school, I have been asked -- almost daily since October -- if I think enrollment at my school will suffer because of the slumping economy.

And for a long stretch, I must admit that the best answer I could offer was “I’m not really sure.”

Uncertainty, after all, has been the one certainty in our lives the past several months.

More recently, though, I am able to respond with a bit more clarity. Families, it turns out, are making the commitment -- in spite of the struggling economy – and continuing to pay for their children’s Kindergarten through 12th grade education.

According to many reports, enrollments at independent (non-public) schools around the region, and the country, remain steady. And an informal survey of admission directors at other independent schools suggests that interest levels among prospective new families are similar to the past few years.

At our school in Cabarrus County, we are taking all the necessary steps to deliver our academic, arts, and athletics programs effectively and efficiently during a recession. And we expect that the economy will, at least temporarily, limit our opportunities to expand. But we are encouraged that so many of our core families are re-enrolling – and demonstrating that their children’s education is a priority.

No doubt, some might find all of this a bit surprising.

It makes sense, after all, that in a down economy, spending on luxury and other non-essential items would be the first to be cut from a family’s household budget. And, given the option to attend non-tuition based schools, it might be easy for a family to put “private school” tuition in the non-essential category.

The opposite, though, is turning out to be true.

While parents are certainly cutting out excess spending and tightening their fiscal belts, many are keeping tuition for their child’s education in the essential category. “I feel like my child needs the best education available -- now more than ever,” a young prospective parent told me during a campus tour recently. “This world has changed so much in such a short period. Nothing is predictable – and we all need to be able to adapt and adjust. I want my child in a school that will prepare her for such an unpredictable future.”

Interesting.

Like most schools, ours is doing all we can to accommodate new and returning families during this challenging economic period. We took the unprecedented step to freeze tuition rates for 2009-2010. We recognize that families are making sacrifices to keep their children enrolled, so we are making every effort to meet their needs where we can. That includes distributing our financial aid funding to as many qualified families as possible.

And there seems to be a silver lining. This economy is forcing families to reassess their priorities and look more closely at what they value.

And, as it turns out, many parents are cutting out unnecessary spending, but viewing their K-12 independent school tuition as an investment, not an expense. And, given the other options in the financial markets these days, they are eager to fund an investment that offers such a valuable payoff.

Noted for their safety, small class sizes, individual attention, and commitment to arts and athletics, independent schools have a reputation as outstanding learning communities. And for those parents who consider their child’s preparation for college as the ultimate payoff, independent schools are well-positioned to deliver.

“Colleges are looking more and more at the rigor of the high school curriculum,” our college counselor told a group of parents recently. “And colleges know that the curriculum, expectations, and overall preparation at independent schools are excellent. That gives our graduates an edge.”

And that, to parents, sounds like a lasting investment.

Bill Diskin is Director of Admission and Financial Aid at Cannon School in Concord.