Intrigued by a Preston Hollow Elementary School PTA flier delivered to their door, the Pitts family began to discuss changing their son’s enrollment from private to public school. After doing some research, Ginger Pitts found that Preston Hollow offered a similar education as the private school. Her son, third-grader Philip, began attending Preston Hollow Elementary this fall.

 

In fact, the neighborhood elementary school greeted several other new families this year who chose to move their children from private to public schools.

 

Principal Teresa Parker says, “We’re really excited about getting the parents of our private school students back.”

 

Pitts credits the elementary school’s PTA with encouraging her decision. The informational flier she received compared the curriculums, faculty qualifications, and resources of public vs. private schools in the area. Pitts was surprised to find that the statistics were comparable, with Preston Hollow teaching the exact same curriculum as their private school. The schools are “using the same book,” she says.

 

With the larger county budget as its resource, Preston Hollow Elementary also boasts more computers than most private schools.

 

After being further impressed by an open house she attended at the school, Pitts decided she wanted to observe a regular school day. She arranged the visit and was greeted by the PTA president, who gave her a personal tour.

 

Contrary to some negative comments she’d heard about the Dallas Independent School District , Pitts says she observed teachers teaching and students learning in a “well-maintained, nice school.” Principal Parker is a great asset, Pitts adds, because she has “a real passion for what she’s doing.”

 

For any parent interested in finding out about Preston Hollow Elementary, or any other DISD school, Pitts recommends “showing up on PTA night.”

 

Both Pitts and Principal Parker applaud the excellent support provided by the school’s active PTA. The many involved parents organize regular activities for families, such as a “Dad’s Club,” and they even helped Pitts find extracurricular activities suitable for her son.

 

“We were not unhappy at our private school,” Pitts wants to clarify, “but we thought this was something we should try.”

 

For more information, call Preston Hollow Elementary, 972-794-8500, or PTA President Betsy Fisher, 214-691-9323.