Private school for half the cost, would you do it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can tell you what to do OP, too many variables. IMO one really isn’t a clear better choice than the other. Some kids do need a different environment, smaller classes, etc., and others thrive in an environment where all their neighborhoods friends go to school with them. I don’t think it will be a strain on you, but it’s not just about if you can afford it you should. We also make more than double what you make choose public.

Thank you, but how do I know if my kids will do better in one vs another until I try? They are both very social, happy, normal kids. The older one will he redshirted (that might be another reason to go to private, right?). She is normal, but socialize better with same age kids and not older kids. Also, she is born in early Sept and we tho Got she would go to private school so we ended up keeping her at her preschool one more year (next year)

In private school the cutoff is Sept 1st so she missed it by a couple of days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can tell you what to do OP, too many variables. IMO one really isn’t a clear better choice than the other. Some kids do need a different environment, smaller classes, etc., and others thrive in an environment where all their neighborhoods friends go to school with them. I don’t think it will be a strain on you, but it’s not just about if you can afford it you should. We also make more than double what you make choose public.

Thank you, but how do I know if my kids will do better in one vs another until I try? They are both very social, happy, normal kids. The older one will he redshirted (that might be another reason to go to private, right?). She is normal, but socialize better with same age kids and not older kids. Also, she is born in early Sept and we tho Got she would go to private school so we ended up keeping her at her preschool one more year (next year)

In private school the cutoff is Sept 1st so she missed it by a couple of days.

My kid is redshirted in DCPS WOTP school. Probably not as common as private, but not an anomaly either. And I agree with you, you will never truly know of one night have been better than the other (the road not taken... right?) have you visited Lafayette, stoddert, etc. How do they compare to sidwel, and other privates you like? If you really prefer the privates and you get in, go for it. If not do public and k ow you always have options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted on the private school thread already and someone suggested to ask here too, so here it is.
DH and I get an allowance of about half tuition up to $19,000. We make about 170k after taxes. We have two kids and might have another.
Should we do it? We would not be able to afford $80k per year, but 40k we can do it (60... maybe if my income increases which might double (from 55 after taxes to 90) in a couple of years. What would you do? We are international and travel out of the country to see family twice a year (cheap because usually use miles or trip is paid by DH’s job) once we are there we stay with family. Trips are non-negotiable and a priority for us (we also save money in the summer because kids are in home country for 2-3 months and we don’t ever pay for summer camps. Would you do it at our income level?

We are also planning to move (need a bigger house) and by selling what we have now (we are in DuPont) we can get a bigger house inbound for stoddert, Murch, Lafayette, etc.

We work for international organizations and we have great benefits (pension will be 70% of highest paycheck, home leave money, and we don’t pay taxes except for property taxes).

Also, we would apply to Beauvoir and Sidwell

You may want to do further research. Sitwell is best known for middle and upper school academics. Lower school has had mixed reviews and many attend simply as a gateway to the middle and upper schools. While Beauvoir is focused solely on early childhood education, this board has been filled with questions about how well it prepares kids for the Cathedral schools. But to be honest, none of the private schools in DC are particularly hardcore for academics in the lower schools. Nor should they be.

Why only those two? Fund families are at lots of schools.

I only visited 4 based on reputation and friends ends suggestions and those two are the only ones we feel are worth the $$ for us... I am sure there are many other great schools, but we care a lot about academics and for lower schools it seems like Beauvoir and Sidwell are the best

[Anonymous]

If you are at the Fund, you should take advantage of the in-house educational consultant on this question.

[Anonymous]

Don’t many of the WB/IMF types live in Bethesda? Why not there?

[Anonymous]

I saw this post on the private board and don’t see how you can raise a family on 130k post-tax income if you have two working parents and need childcare/ help with 2 (maybe 3) kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t many of the WB/IMF types live in Bethesda? Why not there?

OP here. We thought about it and it’s not for us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one can tell you what to do OP, too many variables. IMO one really isn’t a clear better choice than the other. Some kids do need a different environment, smaller classes, etc., and others thrive in an environment where all their neighborhoods friends go to school with them. I don’t think it will be a strain on you, but it’s not just about if you can afford it you should. We also make more than double what you make choose public.

Thank you, but how do I know if my kids will do better in one vs another until I try? They are both very social, happy, normal kids. The older one will he redshirted (that might be another reason to go to private, right?). She is normal, but socialize better with same age kids and not older kids. Also, she is born in early Sept and we tho Got she would go to private school so we ended up keeping her at her preschool one more year (next year)

In private school the cutoff is Sept 1st so she missed it by a couple of days.

My kid is redshirted in DCPS WOTP school. Probably not as common as private, but not an anomaly either. And I agree with you, you will never truly know of one night have been better than the other (the road not taken... right?) have you visited Lafayette, stoddert, etc. How do they compare to sidwel, and other privates you like? If you really prefer the privates and you get in, go for it. If not do public and k ow you always have options.

OP here. Thanks good to know... no I have no visited any of the elementary schools I mentioned, only our local one (and I was far from impressed)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are at the Fund, you should take advantage of the in-house educational consultant on this question.

We are not... at the IMF they get even better benefits than we do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted on the private school thread already and someone suggested to ask here too, so here it is.
DH and I get an allowance of about half tuition up to $19,000. We make about 170k after taxes. We have two kids and might have another.
Should we do it? We would not be able to afford $80k per year, but 40k we can do it (60... maybe if my income increases which might double (from 55 after taxes to 90) in a couple of years. What would you do? We are international and travel out of the country to see family twice a year (cheap because usually use miles or trip is paid by DH’s job) once we are there we stay with family. Trips are non-negotiable and a priority for us (we also save money in the summer because kids are in home country for 2-3 months and we don’t ever pay for summer camps. Would you do it at our income level?

We are also planning to move (need a bigger house) and by selling what we have now (we are in DuPont) we can get a bigger house inbound for stoddert, Murch, Lafayette, etc.

We work for international organizations and we have great benefits (pension will be 70% of highest paycheck, home leave money, and we don’t pay taxes except for property taxes).

Also, we would apply to Beauvoir and Sidwell

You may want to do further research. Sitwell is best known for middle and upper school academics. Lower school has had mixed reviews and many attend simply as a gateway to the middle and upper schools. While Beauvoir is focused solely on early childhood education, this board has been filled with questions about how well it prepares kids for the Cathedral schools. But to be honest, none of the private schools in DC are particularly hardcore for academics in the lower schools. Nor should they be.

Why only those two? Fund families are at lots of schools.

I only visited 4 based on reputation and friends ends suggestions and those two are the only ones we feel are worth the $$ for us... I am sure there are many other great schools, but we care a lot about academics and for lower schools it seems like Beauvoir and Sidwell are the best

Very good points, thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw this post on the private board and don’t see how you can raise a family on 130k post-tax income if you have two working parents and need childcare/ help with 2 (maybe 3) kids.

OP here. Just for the sake of conversation... We can and did it with less than 120k for the past few years. First of all we have great benefits and we don’t need to save for retirement or health insurance. My older child has been at her private preschool (18k with no help from work because that starts at 5) for two years now and the younger kid for 1 (16k) and we have a full time live in nanny. Maybe we live very frugally according to American standards: we Ride bikes, have a very old and cheap car, international trips are not expensive for us, I hate eating out so restaurants outings are rare, etc... I don’t feel like we are tight at all, but we are not Americans and are not used to sped the way people do in this country. Life is more expensive here than back home, but higher wages here at least double that difference. Does that answer your questions? Anyway we can do it, the real questions forbid whether we should do it or save the money and invest them
In real estate which is what we have been doing and what my family has done as well.

[Anonymous]

Are you in the US forever or moving back to your home country later or for university?

If so, think about what school may make than transition easier.

[Anonymous]

Wil your tuition benefit increase? Private school tuition goes up 2-3% each year.

You will also be strongly encouraged to give to the school’s fundraising efforts each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are at the Fund, you should take advantage of the in-house educational consultant on this question.

I'm not sure why this is double-posted here and in private schools. Definitely, talk to the Fund in-house educational consultant. I didn't realize that the Fund went to 50% - it was 75% when I was there. With respect to choosing a private don't go by name recognition and perceived stature. There are several lower cost K-8 that would be suitable. You can apply to Sidwell/Cathedral schools for high school.

[Anonymous]

I would stretch to do it, but a) I don't want 3 kids and b) my IB DCPS is not one that is highly-regarded on these forums. Moving to upper NW for a Deal feeder is a non-starter for us, too. All in all, I would jump through some pretty serious hoops to get a good private school education for my kid.