Peninsula Daily News News Services
TACOMA — Enrollments are down and requests for financial aid are up as private schools in Washington feel the pinch of the sluggish economy.
Judy Jennings, executive director of the Washington Federation of Independent Schools, said that throughout the state, enrollment in private elementary and secondary schools has declined 8 percent to 10 percent this year.
She said that parents have been leery about the expense in the tough economic times.
The newspaper says many schools report smaller entering classes, particularly in elementary grades.
Schools that have been able to maintain enrollment often attribute that to increased financial aid.
