Many parents at last week's North Seattle School Fair said they were concerned about the quality of education and environment that their kids will be graduating into.

Parents from all over North Seattle researched schools for their kids at the fair on Nov. 6. Both public and private schools (kindergarten through middle school) were equipped with information booths and representatives at St. Alphonsus Family Center in Ballard.

"We're trying to get a feel for what to do," said Stuart Isett, a Ballard parent. "You see kids smoking cigarettes across the street from Ballard High School (...) you kind of wonder what the school is thinking."

Some parents were weighing the pros and cons of private and public schools.

"Private schools have the advantage of being smaller," said one mom. "There's more attention, and middle school is such a challenging time in a kids life."

Another mother noted that she likes the idea of her child being exposed to religion at school.

"It's good for kids to be able to say what they believe in and not worry about being made fun of," she said.

On the flip side, both women agreed they like the diversity of a public school, and its obvious affordability.

Some parents wanted to remain flexible with their school decisions, knowing that their child will change from year to year.

"We want to keep our options open," explained Laure McCarty, mother of a pre-kindergartener. "We don't really know our child's learning style yet."

Contact Liz Sternberg at liz.sternberg@yahoo.com.