Too many mediocre choices, can't decide

[Anonymous]

If you were a mixed race family going into debt in DC (earn less than $80,000) and your child was getting straight A's at a mediocre charter (nice families, lots of friends but lacking rigor) would you

1. Keep child in place and hire tutors
2. Hope for acceptance in better charter (#10 is best waitlist number)
3. Rent house and rent and apartment in a better DCPS school neighborhood
4. Rent and rent in a surrounding county
4. Sell and buy in surrounding county
5. Sell and move to cheaper city but with no knowledge of schools and no community but get out of debt
6. Use home equity to put child in great private for a few years

Too many choices and none seems obvious.. at least to me. How about to you?

[Anonymous]

#3. But depending on what school #2 is you may get in over the summer.

Don't go into any more debt.

[Anonymous]

I would do #4. I would enrich at home while keeping in public school. I would also make sure that the school racial diversity is balanced at the very least and has a low number of ESOL and FARMS.

[Anonymous]

5- but do homework first.

I would not do:
6. Crazy to put yourself in more debt

[Anonymous]

I would leave for the 'burbs if ultimately unsuccessful in the lottery. Choose somewhere that you can get good schools and cheaper housing. The prices WOTP are too much for us, and we make more than you do.

[Anonymous]

What grade OP?

[Anonymous]

This is to a large extent a financial decision. How much equity do you have in your current home? Would you be under less financial stress in a surrounding county? Would your commutes be horrible?

[Anonymous]

I would choose 3 as long as it doesn't put you further into debt.

In no way would I choose 6.

[Anonymous]

We have about $300,000 worth of equity in our home.
DC is going into 2nd

[Anonymous]

4 or 5. In fact, I'm looking at doing 4 or 5 right now myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have about $300,000 worth of equity in our home.
DC is going into 2nd

Are there any suburbs that could give you a decent commute? 300k is a healthy downpayment and you could get a decent house in a lot of places.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, rigor doesn't really kick in in any school until 4th. Up until 2nd the focus is learning to read; after that the focus is reading to learn.

Instead of a tutor, have you tried 'after schooling'? There a a ton of free resources and some good books out there that are way less expensive than your other options.

[Anonymous]

Never heard of after schooling. What is that PP?

[Anonymous]

You don't need to use home equity to go to private. Up to around 600k you are safe as everybody needs a place to live.
If you lreside in a million dollar home, then yes you might have to dip in. retirement accounts are also protected. We are at private and get FA. What grade are you talking? Elementary school or older? Schools give more aid the older and more academically proven prospective students are. good luck!

[Anonymous]

Just saw the 2nd grade comment. Usually entrance years with openings are K, beginning of middle school years and high school. 3rd grade or 4th grade entrance with aid is a hard sell.