Sidwell - 2023-24 tuition for PK-2 will be $50k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the tuition increase would have had to be 7% without PPP loan…

How can you say that? Tuition was being collected. And even if they lost students it was still either insured or owed. At 52k per student, 173 students would have had to stop paying and oh wait there is a $53million endowment….

[Anonymous]

Let’s see if I have this right. (A little “back of the envelope” calculation”

A hypothetical class of 20 second graders would include:

14 full pay at $50,000 = $700,000

4 at $25000 (50% FA) = $100000

2 at $0 (100% FA) = $0

That’s $800, 000 of Revenue.

Variable expense might include two teachers at $80,000 or $160,000 total.

That leaves $640,000 for Overhead absorption.

A Hell of a business model, if you ask me.

And people are lined up to pay the $50,000!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sheesh some of my fellow parents suck. OP you wasted no time to copy/paste the internal communications huh? Why?!

It was going to get out eventually. Do you want to have this conversation now or in a couple months? If your children attend Sidwell, you should be acclimated by now to the fact that certain internal matters will become public and will be discussed and debated. If that bothers you, choose a lower profile school.

Conversation? What is there to converse about? That's the tuition increase; it's not negotiable. Or by conversation do you mean complain?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's just gross and embarrassing. I mean, it's been gross and embarrassing for awhile, but keeps getting worse. What kind of perspective and values are you teaching your kids? Yuk.

Let me put it this way. My kids are far younger and less educated than you are, but they don't use words like "gross" and "yuk."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s a full $10K more than we pay for K and will pay for 1st grade next year at a well-regarded K-8. Does Sidwell truly provide $10K more in value?

It’s a full 50k more than we paid at a well-regarded k-2.

I have no doubt it does provide the value. I wish it were cheaper but I’ve never laid awake at night wondering if I’m wasting my $$$. I would do at -$10k in most schools that are not NCS, STA, SFS. Maybe GDS

Can you tell me what the value is? Like can you quantify what makes Sidwell worth 10, 20, 30, 40, 50k more than other schools? I would be curious to know.

Name brand. You can go anywhere in the country, and many places around the world, and the name Sidwell is known. Not true for most of these other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s see if I have this right. (A little “back of the envelope” calculation”

A hypothetical class of 20 second graders would include:

14 full pay at $50,000 = $700,000

4 at $25000 (50% FA) = $100000

2 at $0 (100% FA) = $0

That’s $800, 000 of Revenue.

Variable expense might include two teachers at $80,000 or $160,000 total.

That leaves $640,000 for Overhead absorption.

A Hell of a business model, if you ask me.

And people are lined up to pay the $50,000!

Where are you getting the $80k/$160k from? Does that figure include salary, health benefits, 401K contributions? How much of that $800k that you've come up with goes to paying for food for these students? What about building maintenance such as custodial staff? Nurses? Are there any class-wide activities such as field trips that are included in tuition?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s see if I have this right. (A little “back of the envelope” calculation”

A hypothetical class of 20 second graders would include:

14 full pay at $50,000 = $700,000

4 at $25000 (50% FA) = $100000

2 at $0 (100% FA) = $0

That’s $800, 000 of Revenue.

Variable expense might include two teachers at $80,000 or $160,000 total.

That leaves $640,000 for Overhead absorption.

A Hell of a business model, if you ask me.

And people are lined up to pay the $50,000!

This is VERY over-simplified.

That $640,000 also includes:

- Lunch every day of the school year for the 20 students, plus the two teachers
- Salary for specials teachers, librarians, health office, security officers, other staff who support the kids and teachers
- Benefits for the teachers and above
- Field trips, class events and excursions, transportation
- Building and grounds upkeep and maintenance
- Class tech and other supplies

[Anonymous]

Why are Sidwell’s athletics facilities so average given these numbers?

[Anonymous]

They should increase class sizes a little bit.
You really don’t need very small class sizes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you have to be a serious chump to spend 50k on preschool.

Or sitting on a pile of generational wealth that you never earned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s a full $10K more than we pay for K and will pay for 1st grade next year at a well-regarded K-8. Does Sidwell truly provide $10K more in value?

It’s a full 50k more than we paid at a well-regarded k-2.

I have no doubt it does provide the value. I wish it were cheaper but I’ve never laid awake at night wondering if I’m wasting my $$$. I would do at -$10k in most schools that are not NCS, STA, SFS. Maybe GDS

Can you tell me what the value is? Like can you quantify what makes Sidwell worth 10, 20, 30, 40, 50k more than other schools? I would be curious to know.

Education
Nurturing environment
Prospects
Peer group
Alumni network
Intangible experience
Values

Ditto NCS and STA but prefer co-ed. it’s not what’s worth 50 plus k it’s what’s worth a few thousand more than a middling school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sheesh some of my fellow parents suck. OP you wasted no time to copy/paste the internal communications huh? Why?!

It was going to get out eventually. Do you want to have this conversation now or in a couple months? If your children attend Sidwell, you should be acclimated by now to the fact that certain internal matters will become public and will be discussed and debated. If that bothers you, choose a lower profile school.

Conversation? What is there to converse about? That's the tuition increase; it's not negotiable. Or by conversation do you mean complain?

I’m just bothered by icky parents of whom they’re very few thank goodness.
Why does it need to be debated? What are you going to do? Strike? Other schools cost the same but don’t offer as much.
And actually this is the answer to why SFS? The name alone inspires awe (but also draws out the wormy parents into the sunlight to “share” internal stuff — it’s a privilege you’re getting these comms dunce)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sheesh some of my fellow parents suck. OP you wasted no time to copy/paste the internal communications huh? Why?!

It was going to get out eventually. Do you want to have this conversation now or in a couple months? If your children attend Sidwell, you should be acclimated by now to the fact that certain internal matters will become public and will be discussed and debated. If that bothers you, choose a lower profile school.

I don’t wish to have this conversation with you. Actually if I knew you were doing this, no conversation Real Housewife

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Others are nearly as expensive. I don't see the point in the thread. If you are a SFS parent and have a problem with this talk to those at the school directly or with other SFS parents in person. There will be an increase of 5 percent at our Big 3 and it is over 50k now but that isn't something to copy and paste and pick apart on this forum, nor am I surprised at this since I expect it to increase every year just as the majority of schools here do. No news here IMO.

+1

But there’s always that one lurky malcontent mom (she also doesn’t like that her $$$ go to support financial aid)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s a full $10K more than we pay for K and will pay for 1st grade next year at a well-regarded K-8. Does Sidwell truly provide $10K more in value?

It’s a full 50k more than we paid at a well-regarded k-2.

I have no doubt it does provide the value. I wish it were cheaper but I’ve never laid awake at night wondering if I’m wasting my $$$. I would do at -$10k in most schools that are not NCS, STA, SFS. Maybe GDS

Can you tell me what the value is? Like can you quantify what makes Sidwell worth 10, 20, 30, 40, 50k more than other schools? I would be curious to know.

Education
Nurturing environment
Prospects
Peer group
Alumni network
Intangible experience
Values

Ditto NCS and STA but prefer co-ed. it’s not what’s worth 50 plus k it’s what’s worth a few thousand more than a middling school

It costs the same or marginally more. Worth every $ in comparison, if you can gain admittance. The benefits are truly lifelong