Declining enrollment -- as much as 10% at some campuses -- is taking a toll on private schools in the Valley.

A growing number of parents have lost jobs or taken pay cuts and, unable to keep up with tuition, have transferred their children to public and charter schools, officials said.

Private schools say they are being hit even harder than public schools grappling with state budget cuts, because nearly all of their financial support comes from tuition and donations, both of which have declined.

The financial pinch is being felt at both religious and nonreligious schools, forcing many of them to look at new ways to raise money.

For some, it means laying off staff, cutting tuition or finding alternative ways to generate income. For others, it's too late.

Clovis Christian School recently closed its doors. The 113-year-old Fresno Adventist Academy in southeast Fresno is barely hanging on. And San Joaquin Memorial High School, the Valley's largest Catholic school, cut tuition this past school year after enrollment fell to 556, its lowest in 18 years.

"The economy has really killed us," said San Joaquin Memorial Principal Ed Borges.

Borges believes this is the first time Memorial has cut fees. "It was a bold move and a risk," especially now, when schools are struggling, he said.

Annual tuition at the school was $8,100. It is now $6,750 for freshmen, $7,550 for sophomores and $7,950 for juniors and seniors. Borges said Memorial will also beef up financial assistance programs. About 40% of the school's students already receive scholarships and other aid.

State and national statistics show private schools are losing ground as families lose money. Experts peg the annual rate of enrollment losses from 4% to 10%.

In California, private school enrollment has steadily declined in recent years, in part because of competition from charter schools and newly-resurgent public schools.

In addition to charters, Clovis Unified School District -- with several new north Fresno campuses and a winning sports program -- also created more competition for private schools. The district is involved in a marketing campaign to attract more students.

But the decline in private school enrollment accelerated in 2008, and enrollment dropped by 23,468 students in the last school year, said Ron Reynolds, director of the California Association of Private School Organizations. The association is made up of organizations that provide services to 1,400 private schools.

James McManus, executive director of the California Association of Independent Schools, said recent enrollment declines are about the worst in nearly 20 years. The Burbank-based association represents 200 member schools, including more than a dozen church-affiliated schools.

Few schools have lowered tuition, he said. However, McManus said this could change if the economic turmoil continues.

"Sobering," is how Patrick Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools, described the enrollment drop. More than half of his group's schools lost enrollment this year, Bassett told members in February when he delivered his annual report in San Francisco.

He said it could have been worse, but schools staved off disaster with aggressive financial aid -- an increase of about 15% overall. Whether this financial aid commitment can continue is questionable, Bassett said.

While private school leaders blame the economy for driving down enrollment, they also say charter schools -- publicly-funded schools that have flexibility to teach in nontraditional ways -- have taken away some of their students.