Moving to Arlington vs Private Tuition

[Anonymous]

ACPS family here, and, like many others, we are weighing sending our kids to private/parochial (if we get accepted) vs moving to North Arlington.

We have three kids, so the possibility of three in private for elementary is financially ominous. We are both Feds with a combined HHI of $225k. Will need to float daycare in addition to private tuition. $28k for private kindergarten seems crazy, but our public school is that bad.

Based on others' experiences, are the Alexandria privates (SSSAS, ACDS, BF, St. Mary's) worth it, or are we realistically better biting the bullet and moving from our awesome neighborhood?

Looking for experiential comments from folks who opted to move for public over private. Are you happy with your decision? Why did you opt to move and where? Did you have to downsize or compromise on house, and do you regret it?

Any advice for a family just starting to navigate this decision?

Thanks in advance. This is all so overwhelming!

[Anonymous]

Sending 3 kids (at some point) to private on a combined HHI of $225k is crazy. Are your middle school and high school any better than your elementary? If not, that's a long time spending half of your after tax income on tuition. If you are going to move, I would do it sooner rather than later because at some point your kids will be old enough that they will have established friends in your neighborhood and the move will be hard. Another consideration is saving for college on your HHI and that much K-12 tuition.

[Anonymous]

How can you possibly afford to spend close to half of your income on private school for 3 kids. Will you get $$$ from the grandparents? Savings from an earlier higher paying job? Otherwise I'm not sure how this could possibly be an option for you.

What is your housing budget for North Arlington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sending 3 kids (at some point) to private on a combined HHI of $225k is crazy. Are your middle school and high school any better than your elementary? If not, that's a long time spending half of your after tax income on tuition. If you are going to move, I would do it sooner rather than later because at some point your kids will be old enough that they will have established friends in your neighborhood and the move will be hard. Another consideration is saving for college on your HHI and that much K-12 tuition.

In ACPS, the middle school and (only) HS options are worse than elementary. Usually you see families tolerate the elementary schools (a couple are OK -- MacArthur, Lyles Crouch, Barrett) and flee in the later elementary grades.

To answer your question, OP, we conducted the same analysis and moved to North Arlington. Figured the investment in paying down the mortgage was better. I'm sure privates are better schools, but you can't convince me they are $35,000 a year better.

Besides, for better or for worse, our public school behaves like it is private. The PTA auction recently netted $60,000, for example.

We know lots of families who used to live in Alexandria and moved here because of the schools. It's very common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ACPS family here, and, like many others, we are weighing sending our kids to private/parochial (if we get accepted) vs moving to North Arlington.

We have three kids, so the possibility of three in private for elementary is financially ominous. We are both Feds with a combined HHI of $225k. Will need to float daycare in addition to private tuition. $28k for private kindergarten seems crazy, but our public school is that bad.

Based on others' experiences, are the Alexandria privates (SSSAS, ACDS, BF, St. Mary's) worth it, or are we realistically better biting the bullet and moving from our awesome neighborhood?

Looking for experiential comments from folks who opted to move for public over private. Are you happy with your decision? Why did you opt to move and where? Did you have to downsize or compromise on house, and do you regret it?

Any advice for a family just starting to navigate this decision?

Thanks in advance. This is all so overwhelming!

So your "awesome neighborhood" has such terrible schools you have to move or go private? Hmmmm.

[Anonymous]

WOW! I live in Vienna (and am very happy with the schools), but I also LOVE Alexandria, and often think that we should move there. I lived there (SE area) before I was married. However, reading about the schools has me reconsidering this idea. Are the schools (MS and HS) really 'that' bad?

[Anonymous]

We left DC for public school in Arlington. We felt we wouldnt' be sacrificing quality in a dc private vs arlington strong public.

We were able to keep our rowhouse in DC and rent it out while buying a new home in Arlington. If we had stayed in the District we'd have one house and be putting all $ and savings into private.

We now have somebody paying off the mortgage on our DC home and it will be paid off before the kids are even out of HS. This is a much better deal for their future and our family's portfolio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We left DC for public school in Arlington. We felt we wouldnt' be sacrificing quality in a dc private vs arlington strong public.

We were able to keep our rowhouse in DC and rent it out while buying a new home in Arlington. If we had stayed in the District we'd have one house and be putting all $ and savings into private.

We now have somebody paying off the mortgage on our DC home and it will be paid off before the kids are even out of HS. This is a much better deal for their future and our family's portfolio.

And- yes were are very happy with our decision. Our kids are K and 2nd and surrournded by kids all over this neighborhood. The publics here have a strong rec sports program...all teams are separated by school.

I am simply amazed at how much my kids have learned at such a young age. Their elementary school and the teachers are superb!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ACPS family here, and, like many others, we are weighing sending our kids to private/parochial (if we get accepted) vs moving to North Arlington.

We have three kids, so the possibility of three in private for elementary is financially ominous. We are both Feds with a combined HHI of $225k. Will need to float daycare in addition to private tuition. $28k for private kindergarten seems crazy, but our public school is that bad.

Based on others' experiences, are the Alexandria privates (SSSAS, ACDS, BF, St. Mary's) worth it, or are we realistically better biting the bullet and moving from our awesome neighborhood?

Looking for experiential comments from folks who opted to move for public over private. Are you happy with your decision? Why did you opt to move and where? Did you have to downsize or compromise on house, and do you regret it?

Any advice for a family just starting to navigate this decision?

Thanks in advance. This is all so overwhelming!

So your "awesome neighborhood" has such terrible schools you have to move or go private? Hmmmm.

Yes, that is a fairly common circumstance in Alexandria. Much of Old Town is zoned for Jefferson Houston, for example. And many parents don't want to be in Mount Vernon, even with the calendar changing back to normal. High FARMS, ESOL, poor achievement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WOW! I live in Vienna (and am very happy with the schools), but I also LOVE Alexandria, and often think that we should move there. I lived there (SE area) before I was married. However, reading about the schools has me reconsidering this idea. Are the schools (MS and HS) really 'that' bad?

That's an explosive question. They are universally regarded as bad, but there are definitely parents who have toughed it out who will tell you they are having a good experience and their children are getting a good education. The high school (there is only one) has a reputation for being "Yale or Jail" in which kids generally get tracked. There's a small cadre of achievers who have access to excellent faculty, but they tend to live in a bubble. There is a high drop-out rate for Hispanics, especially, a lot of fighting, and enough teen pregnancies that the school operates a day care on site for the children of students.

[Anonymous]

OP -- don't forget the cost of summer programs/camp/daycare. That $30K/kid per year does not include the 10+ weeks of summer. Realistically, you need to look at parochial, try out your local public ES for a year, or move to a different district where you can use the public schools. I don't think you need to worry about HS yet as that decision is quite a ways down the road. If your oldest is going to be entering kinderg., it's only prudent to visit your local public school before you make a huge financial decision that will affect the future well-being of everyone in the family (be that parochial or moving).

Do your "due diligence" and visit the school you are currently zoned for. It might surprise you and be a "good enough" school for a few years. If it doesn't look like a do-able option, then fine.... at least you gave it a fair evaluation based on your own observation rather than rumor.

Frankly, I think it would be financially disasterous and irresponsible to spend $30K/year/kid on a salary of $225K. I know that $225K is a very good household income -- but not when you are spending $125K/year for tuition and summer programs. It's ridiculous that $225K doesn't get you everything you want.... but that's the way it is here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, I think it would be financially disasterous and irresponsible to spend $30K/year/kid on a salary of $225K. I know that $225K is a very good household income -- but not when you are spending $125K/year for tuition and summer programs. It's ridiculous that $225K doesn't get you everything you want.... but that's the way it is here.

Have to agree.

Far better to put the money into a house in a good neighborhood -- i.e., one in which the local public school is excellent, of which there are many.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- don't forget the cost of summer programs/camp/daycare. That $30K/kid per year does not include the 10+ weeks of summer. Realistically, you need to look at parochial, try out your local public ES for a year, or move to a different district where you can use the public schools. I don't think you need to worry about HS yet as that decision is quite a ways down the road. If your oldest is going to be entering kinderg., it's only prudent to visit your local public school before you make a huge financial decision that will affect the future well-being of everyone in the family (be that parochial or moving).

Do your "due diligence" and visit the school you are currently zoned for. It might surprise you and be a "good enough" school for a few years. If it doesn't look like a do-able option, then fine.... at least you gave it a fair evaluation based on your own observation rather than rumor.

Frankly, I think it would be financially disasterous and irresponsible to spend $30K/year/kid on a salary of $225K. I know that $225K is a very good household income -- but not when you are spending $125K/year for tuition and summer programs. It's ridiculous that $225K doesn't get you everything you want.... but that's the way it is here.

We did the trying out the neighborhood school for a few years thing and have decided that the schools aren't working for us. Our kids, especially our oldest, is having a hard time dealing with the potential move because they've been around the same kids for so long. Not saying your local school won't work out, but it can be hard to uproot your kids when they are older and have really good long-term friends.

[Anonymous]

Depending on your budget, you should be able to find an awesome neighborhood here in North Arlington for less than you'd spend on private schools for 3 kids. A lot of the colonials under $700K are small with a teeny 3rd BR, but you might look for a cape with 2BR up, 2BR on the main, so everyone could have a room. We're in Country Club - you might be able to find something here, or in
Bon Air/Bluemont or in several other neighborhoods that are close in, with good schools.

There are some great houses in wonderful neighborhoods in Alexandria, but I'll be honest, I don't know a single family there who plans to use the public schools past elementary school. Most either move or do Catholic.

[Anonymous]

10:08 -- my oldest is in 4th. She has lost several of her "best, best friends" already. I have worried about how she would get by once the bestie has left and she always picks up a new bestie. Kids seem to be flexible that way (although they will fight tooth and nail to avoid the change before it happens).

We have lots of military families at our school, but kids leave for AAP or their parents wanting a bigger house. We would not leave to find a better school, but we might move to reduce DH's commute. So, it's just a fact of life in NoVa/DC/Md. that people come and go. Kids seem to roll with it.