How do people afford it?
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Anonymous
This. If you aren’t a minority, don’t waste your time. |
Anonymous
| Our stats were similar to yours. We managed with 1 kid, but with 2 it became unsustainable and put too much financial pressure on us. We ended up moving the kids to public. Don’t really regret the years $$$$ in private but don’t regret moving the kids to public school either. Kids ended being happier in public. |
Anonymous
Funny, I had two front teeth knocked out/chipped in separate incidents at my fancy private. |
Anonymous
No you didn’t…unless those incidents occurred while playing sports. |
Anonymous
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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Our oldest and their spouse make the same as OP and sent their kid to public elementary school EOTP. After concluding reluctantly that the local middle and high schools weren’t viable options, they started playing the lottery and applying to privates. It was the last thing they wanted to do because they really didn’t want their kids going to school with a bunch of rich kids, plus they honestly didn’t want to put such a huge dent in their lifestyle. There are lots of things that can be done with kids with that kind of money that can benefit their growth just as much as private education.
Long story short, their kid got into several well known privates in DC but with virtually no financial aid. One very good school upped their offer to $10k in the end, but that still left a price tag of $40k plus and would only go up and they didn’t want to pay it. In the end, they sweated through the lottery and landed at a good option. We have a lot more money than they do and we are very close with our grandkids. They never asked us to help and we never considered it. I think they knew we shared their [b]philosophical revulsion at the idea of elite private schooling[/b] and also knew that we knew it was their choice entirely to live in the school district where they do. [/quote] Move along…[/quote] NP. It’s philosophically revolting yes. And if I were a parent who had to rely on my parents to pay my child’s private school tuition I’d be embarrassed. [/quote] Grandparents paying school tuition is a way to transfer future inheritance earlier. Plenty of people who can afford private still have grandparents paying. Nothing to be embarrassed of. [/quote] I grew up poor...went to scrappy commuter college and law school. Same for my DH. We are rich now. Rest assured I wanted a better life for my kids and grandkids.I will gladly pay their private school tuitions. I bet the holier than thou posters deriding private never went to an urban public in the hood like I did.[/quote] THIS. If I’m able I’ll gladly pay my grandkids tuition one day![/quote] I’m the grandparent who could pay but won’t. I didn’t grow up rich or going to fancy schools either. Trust me. I just think 9/10 of this is parenting. You don’t have to spend all that money to get a good education, and there’s nothing wrong with meeting a disadvantaged classmate every once in a while - and, God forbid, maybe even making friends with some![/quote] From one who has been there done that tried that…you sound like you think it works like it does in the movies. IRL, it does not.[/quote] Yes, after my experience in bad public schools getting several of my teeth knocked out by an angry classmate while we were in class I have chosen to spend much of my discretionary income putting my kids in a different environment. I have no regrets about this.[/quote] Funny, I had two front teeth knocked out/chipped in separate incidents at my fancy private. [/quote] No you didn’t…unless those incidents occurred while playing sports.[/quote] Incidents like this happen during middle school recess at private schools all the time. Private school kids aren’t special snowflakes of ethics and kindness. |
Anonymous
We have an HHI of $1.4M and a mortgage of $520K with one kid. You could have had a smaller mortgage. We started out with a mortgage smaller than yours. You make your choices and have to live with them. |
Anonymous
| Or you never plan on private but turns out your child has special needs/learning disabilities and you’re forced into private school because public schools are horrible at addressing anything but typical needs. Our HHI does not permit private; but we have no choice now given our child’s needs. We are now having to change everything to try to scrape by for the tuition. Remember there are people in this forum who know their HHI doesn’t permit private school, but don’t have a choice with special needs. |
Anonymous
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Yes, after my experience in bad public schools getting several of my teeth knocked out by an angry classmate while we were in class I have chosen to spend much of my discretionary income putting my kids in a different environment. I have no regrets about this.
Funny, I had two front teeth knocked out/chipped in separate incidents at my fancy private. No you didn’t…unless those incidents occurred while playing sports. Incidents like this happen during middle school recess at private schools all the time. Private school kids aren’t special snowflakes of ethics and kindness. Exceptions don’t make a rule. My children attended “great” Ward 3 DCPS schools through 8th grade. Now they attend a “Big 3” private school. I don’t believe that private school kids are “special snowflakes of ethics and kindness.” However, I know that my children’s school would NEVER tolerate the chair throwing, hitting, and cursing (at both fellow students and teachers) that my children witnessed on a regular basis…often INSIDE the classroom. Don’t insult anyone’s intelligence by trying to pretend that equivalent behavior is typically found at both types of school. One school can quickly show the misbehaving child the door. The other school has to often spend years trying to remove a violent child. |
Anonymous
Funny, I had two front teeth knocked out/chipped in separate incidents at my fancy private. No you didn’t…unless those incidents occurred while playing sports. Incidents like this happen during middle school recess at private schools all the time. Private school kids aren’t special snowflakes of ethics and kindness. Exceptions don’t make a rule. My children attended “great” Ward 3 DCPS schools through 8th grade. Now they attend a “Big 3” private school. I don’t believe that private school kids are “special snowflakes of ethics and kindness.” However, I know that my children’s school would NEVER tolerate the chair throwing, hitting, and cursing (at both fellow students and teachers) that my children witnessed on a regular basis…often INSIDE the classroom. Don’t insult anyone’s intelligence by trying to pretend that equivalent behavior is typically found at both types of school. One school can quickly show the misbehaving child the door. The other school has to often spend years trying to remove a violent child. Preach. |
Anonymous
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OP, too many replies for me to check to see if this has already been said.
For heaven's sake, don't liquidate your home savings to pay for private school. Because of my husband's income, our HHI is $550K-$750K and if I weren't an employee at a top private getting tuition remission, I wouldn't sell assets to send my kids to these schools. (We get the remission but not any additional financial aid, of course.) Yes, these schools are wonderful and your kids will benefit. But it shouldn't be at the expense of your financial security. Your income isn't at all high considering it will cost $200K pre-tax to send two kids to school -- every year for many years. Enroll in a public school, supplement with tutoring, experiential learning and travel, and great summer programs. And get to know all your children's friends parents especially in the teenage years -- because stuff flies under the radar at publics more easily than in small private schools. You'll get the same result, minus the obnoxiousness of saying "top 3." |