Hyde Park Baptist Schools

Disclaimer… I do not have children at HP, but have two friends that do. Both friends can not speak more highly of their kids’ experience at HP. They’ve used words and terms like thriving, life-​changing, wonderful and more than they could have imagined. My wife and I went to an admissions preview last night and were impressed with just about everything we saw. We were especially encouraged by the open-​mindedness the teachers displayed when discussing Christianity. The kids are encouraged to think logically (and for themselves) and be able to defend whatever position they adopt. The graduation class is around 90 kids (as opposed to 700 at the local district school), which is almost reason enough to send my kids there. Nearly 25% of last-year’s graduation class were accepted to UT-​Austin. The expectation is that everyone will go to college, so it’s not a matter of if, but where. Many kids who have transferred from larger schools have been able to participate in multiple school activities and sports as there is no pressure to specialize in one activity and the smaller class sizes make trying new things less intimidating. There is no getting lost in the shuffle, no feelings of not feeling wanted or that one doesn’t belong and not nearly the same cliques and social peer-​pressures as elsewhere.
Now the big question is how do I pay for it. It’s approx 15k per year for high school; not an insignificant amount. Actually, though, that number is lower than some other private schools in Austin — St. Stephens is 23k annually, for example.
In short, after leaving the event my wife and I both agreed that it made us want to go back to high school… and this time do it right. :)

I believe the education provided at HP is much better than what would be received via a public school, but I also believe that on the ‘Christian’ side, the school is lacking.
I’m a devout Christian, and find the belief in abortion to be contradictory to being a Christian (how can one claim to be a Christian, and profess belief in an immortal soul, and at the same time feel justified in the destruction of anothers immortal soul?).
Recently, I was having a conversation with my niece (who graduated last year after 12 years at HP), and the topic of abortion came up, and when I asked for her opinion, I was flabbergasted when she said she had not made up her mind. Talking to her further about Hyde Park, gave me further pause. She made is sound as if faculty was more synonymous with a liberal college, than a Christian high school.
How can a school be committed to spreading Christian values, and not broach the subject of abortion with a student in 12 years? I’m guessing that it’s more about not wanting to bring up a subject that might offend someone, and risk losing tuition monies! I believe that part of being a Christian is standing up for what is right, regardless of the consequences, I wish the school would act the same.
So, while I believe the quality of education at Hyde Park is very high, I also think that if you are looking for an education with a Christian background, you probably want to continue looking.