Sending your child to a Pennsylvania private school is a choice, but that decision comes at a price.  The Pennsylvania Department of Education says less people are paying private tuition, especially when public education comes free in an economic recession.

You've probably heard of the Grier All Girls School in Tyrone.  It has a national and international reputation.  Headmistress Gina Borst thinks that recognition might be why the school is doing OK in a bad economy.

“People are looking to where they can cut corners, where they can cut costs, and you know public education is free so they need to make that sacrifice, and absolutely that does make sense,” Borst said.

It's not the same story for other private schools across Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education said enrollment for private schools has dropped over ten years, almost 23% to be exact.  Since last year, in all, Pennsylvania private schools lost 9,000 students.  The Department of Education thinks that falling trend will continue until 2013.

Other private schools in our area are also seeing more students enroll, and they think it's because they can offer something that public schools just can't.

“Everything we do in the curriculum is faith based so there's that yearning to looking to that and that connection there so that's what we offer more than any other school can offer in the area,” Altoona Central Catholic School Principal Jeff Maucieri

Altoona Central Catholic School has had steady enrollment for the past few years.  This year it has an extra student, but it always wasn't smooth sailing.

“At the beginning of those ten years we did see a decline in enrollment, the last six years we've seen a steady increase,” Maucieri said.

Penn Mont Academy in Hollidaysburg lost 15 kids since last year.  The entire Altoona - Johnstown Catholic Diocese lost about the same amount this year.  Both school administrators credit that to folks saving money.