Private schools in DC that aren't $30k or more?

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that the public schools are spending 15 k per year on your kid (and don't need to pay rent) and paying their starting teachers 52K. If your school is charging less than than 15K, they will be spending less on your child than the public system and attracting teachers who couldn't get a higher paying job in the public system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to the idea of private school for my DC, who is still only 4 so probably not eligible to start yet anyway, but I'm wondering if there are any private elementary and middle school options in DC that don't cost $30-40k. I'm looking for something more in the $15k or under range. Does that exist in the city? Is there a list of such schools? We live in the Petworth/Columbia Heights area, but are not zoned for a great school and I'm wondering if there are any options other than charters (if we're lucky enough to get into a good one) that may be close to our neighborhood. Sorry if this is easy information to find but I've looked in the FAQs and don't see an answer to this question so I figured I'd just ask the people in the know. Thanks in advance.

Your child is 4. If you have not already done the lottery for charters you chances are REALLY slim. Most of the spots open at PreS or PreK.
When you moved to Petworth / Columbia Heights you made a choice to not pay as much for real estate due to the not so great school. Many people mentally take the delta and allocate it to private school.

which is a bad idea unless your retirement and college savings are fully funded each and every month

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones under 30 are going to be Catholic schools. St Johns, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Trinity, Georgetown Visitation, holy Cross, Stoneridge, St Anslem's, Our Lady of Voctory, etc. if you want to pay less than 35k and not go to a Catholic school, you will have to apply for aid or move, unfortunately.

You need to distinguish between schools run by the archdiocese and independent catholic schools. The latter are not a budget bargain!

What are the District of Columbia independent Catholic schools that start at pk4 or K ? I can't think of one.

OP is asking about "schools in DC" and her child is 4.

Our lady of Victory does.

If we are talking elementary, then under 30k may be a possibility outside of Catholic, but not for middle. I would lottery for some good elementaries in the JKLM next year for K-my DD is at Mann and we get a few OOB kids every year in Kindergarten, and we have a very low OOB rate compared to the other JKLMs (we are a lot smaller a school) Apply to Key Mann, Janney, Murch, Stoddert, Ross, Hyde Addison, Lafayette, Eaton and Hearst-I am probably forgetting one or two-and throw in some well regarded charters that suit your location and academic needs, (LAMB, CM, Yu Ying, 2 Rivers, IT, MV, etc) and save for Middle School if you can get in somewhere you like.

this is good advice, with the backup plan of course to move IB for one of these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones under 30 are going to be Catholic schools. St Johns, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Trinity, Georgetown Visitation, holy Cross, Stoneridge, St Anslem's, Our Lady of Voctory, etc. if you want to pay less than 35k and not go to a Catholic school, you will have to apply for aid or move, unfortunately.

You need to distinguish between schools run by the archdiocese and independent catholic schools. The latter are not a budget bargain!

What are the District of Columbia independent Catholic schools that start at pk4 or K ? I can't think of one.

OP is asking about "schools in DC" and her child is 4.

Our lady of Victory does.

If we are talking elementary, then under 30k may be a possibility outside of Catholic, but not for middle. I would lottery for some good elementaries in the JKLM next year for K-my DD is at Mann and we get a few OOB kids every year in Kindergarten, and we have a very low OOB rate compared to the other JKLMs (we are a lot smaller a school) Apply to Key Mann, Janney, Murch, Stoddert, Ross, Hyde Addison, Lafayette, Eaton and Hearst-I am probably forgetting one or two-and throw in some well regarded charters that suit your location and academic needs, (LAMB, CM, Yu Ying, 2 Rivers, IT, MV, etc) and save for Middle School if you can get in somewhere you like.

this is good advice, with the backup plan of course to move IB for one of these schools.

This is not good advice
LAMB does not accept children after PreK
Janney does not accept OOB
Stoddert has 0 spots available for K OOB

The # of spots for OOB across all of the schools listed is just over 50 - and about 30 were offered to siblings. So there will be less than 20 spots available and ~ 200 people trying for them. You need another plan.

[Anonymous]

lots of families shut out pk3 gets spots in good charters pk4 and k (us!). So try the lottery. there are privates that are 20kish or so and not catholic. they are often "niche" schools that offer special programs you either like or don't like - Waldorf, Montessori. This is what we were going to do had we not lucked into a charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The ones under 30 are going to be Catholic schools. St Johns, Blessed Sacrament, Holy Trinity, Georgetown Visitation, holy Cross, Stoneridge, St Anslem's, Our Lady of Voctory, etc. if you want to pay less than 35k and not go to a Catholic school, you will have to apply for aid or move, unfortunately.

You need to distinguish between schools run by the archdiocese and independent catholic schools. The latter are not a budget bargain!

What are the District of Columbia independent Catholic schools that start at pk4 or K ? I can't think of one.

OP is asking about "schools in DC" and her child is 4.

Our lady of Victory does.

If we are talking elementary, then under 30k may be a possibility outside of Catholic, but not for middle. I would lottery for some good elementaries in the JKLM next year for K-my DD is at Mann and we get a few OOB kids every year in Kindergarten, and we have a very low OOB rate compared to the other JKLMs (we are a lot smaller a school) Apply to Key Mann, Janney, Murch, Stoddert, Ross, Hyde Addison, Lafayette, Eaton and Hearst-I am probably forgetting one or two-and throw in some well regarded charters that suit your location and academic needs, (LAMB, CM, Yu Ying, 2 Rivers, IT, MV, etc) and save for Middle School if you can get in somewhere you like.

this is good advice, with the backup plan of course to move IB for one of these schools.

This is not good advice
LAMB does not accept children after PreK
Janney does not accept OOB
Stoddert has 0 spots available for K OOB

The # of spots for OOB across all of the schools listed is just over 50 - and about 30 were offered to siblings. So there will be less than 20 spots available and ~ 200 people trying for them. You need another plan.

Washington Waldorf and oneness school are both around 20 and have middle schools. you might have to look outside dc in md for 20k schools, but not far outside (Oneness is at friendship metro).

[Anonymous]

Oneness is not at the Friendship Metro. Getting there in the a.m. from Petworth adds more than an hour roundtrip to the morning commute. It's $22,000 a year.

Washington Waldorf is $25,000. It is way, way far away from Petworth in the a.m. rush hour. It does, however, have a lot of the curriculum features OP seeks.

[Anonymous]

Nps, but tuition is in the high $20s. Lots of Catholic school alum send their kids there.

[Anonymous]

You will move to the suburbs in 3 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that the public schools are spending 15 k per year on your kid (and don't need to pay rent) and paying their starting teachers 52K. If your school is charging less than than 15K, they will be spending less on your child than the public system and attracting teachers who couldn't get a higher paying job in the public system.

This is not true. All teachers in DCPS are paid commensurate to their experience, on a payscale. A second-year teaching with a bachelor's degree will get the same pay as someone with equal credentials.

The issue with private schools is that teachers are not required to have licenses. So the private school teachers either a) want to teach and are only there while they go through their licensure program and then will quit once they get a job in public schools--which are union and/or pay a lot more--or b) really want to teach at a private religious school and don't care that it pays beans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oneness is not at the Friendship Metro. Getting there in the a.m. from Petworth adds more than an hour roundtrip to the morning commute. It's $22,000 a year.

Washington Waldorf is $25,000. It is way, way far away from Petworth in the a.m. rush hour. It does, however, have a lot of the curriculum features OP seeks.

sorry it's walkable from the bethesda metro not friendship. But there is Christian Family Montessori too (which is actually ami, oneness is not). But the point is the cheaper privates, outside parochial schools, are specialized - Montessori or waldorf. I'm fine with this, but it really depends on your educational philosophy if you are as well.

I grew up in the deep south where everyone with money went to catholic schools to avoid desegregated neighborhood schools, and those catholic schools were just terrible social environments. But I have my son in a church preschool camp right now, and it's completely different (and diverse!). I'd consider parochial schools in DC, something I never thought I'd say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that the public schools are spending 15 k per year on your kid (and don't need to pay rent) and paying their starting teachers 52K. If your school is charging less than than 15K, they will be spending less on your child than the public system and attracting teachers who couldn't get a higher paying job in the public system.

This is not true. All teachers in DCPS are paid commensurate to their experience, on a payscale. A second-year teaching with a bachelor's degree will get the same pay as someone with equal credentials.

The issue with private schools is that teachers are not required to have licenses. So the private school teachers either a) want to teach and are only there while they go through their licensure program and then will quit once they get a job in public schools--which are union and/or pay a lot more--or b) really want to teach at a private religious school and don't care that it pays beans.

I am a certified teacher who teaches at a non-religious independent school BY CHOICE. I have taught public and will never go back, and this is true of many of my colleagues. You make several incorrect assumptions in your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am a certified teacher who teaches at a non-religious independent school BY CHOICE. I have taught public and will never go back, and this is true of many of my colleagues. You make several incorrect assumptions in your post.

And part of your choice is presumably that you would rather earn less money to teach at a non-religious independent school than more money to teach at a public school.

[Anonymous]

The tuition at Washington Waldorf is several thousands lower, not $25 k a year as stated above. It isn't even $25k for high school students much less lower grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that the public schools are spending 15 k per year on your kid (and don't need to pay rent) and paying their starting teachers 52K. If your school is charging less than than 15K, they will be spending less on your child than the public system and attracting teachers who couldn't get a higher paying job in the public system.

I was going to say something along these lines. The level of rigor in a catholic school could be questionable as a result. Typically the teachers at catholic schools don't need to be certified and often they only hold a BA. Many PS teachers (including charters) have higher degrees and hold multiple certifications. Also not sure what kind of professional development is offered to catholic school teachers. Bottom line is to just be sure to ask a lot of right questions.