The following Letter to the Editor was sent to the Grosse Pointe News and the Detroit News on March 10, 2008.

In response to Charles E. Ramirez's article of February 23, Private schools make public pitch, I would like to express our belief at The Grosse Pointe Academy that the economy is not what drives enrollment. While we don't dispute the state's Department of Education findings of private and public school enrollment declines in the last decade, I would like to point out that not all private schools have realized a drop in enrollment during the difficult economic times of late.  At The Grosse Pointe Academy, an age 2 1/2 through grade 8 co-educational independent day school, we have realized an increase in enrollment of close to 5 percent over the last three years.

Credit for our stable and growing enrollment goes to our Board of Trustees, parent base and committed faculty and administrators who understand and communicate regularly with others in the community the value of an independent school education at The Grosse Pointe Academy.  Families have become “consumeristic” in attitudes about education, and it is increasingly critical to the success of a school to communicate the mission clearly.  At the Academy, our mission has remained unchanged for more than a century and our marketing efforts help parents visualize our mission and strengths by consistent messaging using a four pillar strategy: a unique approach to education, a Christian way of life, an unparalleled campus and leadership and vitality.

We do find it increasingly important in this tough economy to communicate our scholarship and tuition assistance programs. Many parents who want the advantage of an Academy education for their children may not have considered it an option due to their lack of awareness of these programs. Last year 29% of our students received some sort of assistance and, of those, 27% of the families reported household incomes of $100,000 or more.

In the end, it is our experience that regardless of economic cycles, parents want the best possible education for their children. Those who recognize the benefits of an independent school education -- academic rigor, individualized attention, development of leadership skills, community service and civic participation, values education, and flat world diversity – choose to invest in the future of their child.

Phil Demartini
Head of School
The Grosse Pointe Academy