Where would you send your kids to school?

I grew up in West County, but have been living in the city for the past three years and have no intention to leave. My boyfriend and I own our house and live in the Lindenwood Park/South City area.

My boyfriend went to Gateway for high school, and had a decent experience that gave him hands on training which set him up for success in his career. But he admits that public school education isn’t the best in the STL metro area.

I always figured that, if/when we had children, we would send them to a private catholic school. Not because we’re overtly religious (I am catholic though and my boyfriend does attend church with me), but because the private schools in the area tend to have higher test results and college acceptance rates. Also, there is a lot of social backlash against magnet/charter schools and vouchers. Admittedly, I don’t know enough about those programs.

That being said, private tuitions are expensive, and will continue to get more expensive. Where would you send your children to school? Would you prioritize a private K-8 experience and then send them to a public high school to build a strong foundation? Would you bite the bullet and send them to a private school in the county?

Any input is appreciated, with the exception of “move out of the city.” We own our house, which is not something we take for granted, and we love living in the city!