Almost 40K in tuition but DC's school constantly fun raises!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny that I am reading this post today. My sister, a GYN and her husband, an internist live in Holmby Hills, a very nice area of LA. Aaron Spelling's former home is in their neighborhood. Anyhow, we were comparing tuition costs yesterday as we both have middle school aged children.

The local private schools, where the uber wealthy of Beverly Hills attend, including Michael Jackson's 3 kids, have a tuition for grade 8 of $21,500! My two seventh graders (at different DC privates) both have tuition in the mid-thirties!

Sis said that the top 4, really competive LA/Bel Air /Bev Hills schools all run in the low $20K range for junior high.

I don't get it.

How is it possible that DC privates are so much higher in general.

Demand and the fact that our public schools are horrible. Beverly Hills does not have crappy public schools.

Here are the top 50 expensive private high schools from this year: Although many here are close, St Albans was the only one on the list. Most are NY/Conn/Mass

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-private-schools-2012-9?op=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many parents at privates can't afford more than tuition so they volunteer to help with the auction or other special events and we do understand that. At many schools the salaries for the Development staff and special events staff eat up a high percentage of the money raised. If you think about how much the schools can save when parents help out with these events and they do not have to hire as many people then you feel you have contributed what you can. Your time and ideas are a valuable contribtion.

I worked for a brief time as development director at a private school and you are dead wrong. I made 60K/year and raised nearly $3M in annual and capital gifts in less than two years. I knew parents who had the means who wouldn't give citing the third remodel of their kitchen or their kid's $30K bar mitzvah. Their priorities were completely fucked. Ultimately I decided it didn't matter and left because in reality the school was no better than a second rate public anyway, and the insufferable snobs I dealt with on a daily basis were not worth my time and talent.

Plus, just wanted to add that my annual budget was about $20K and I always came in under budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the fundraising is to go towards financial aid for students who could otherwise afford to go to that school. I think if you can afford to pay $40k out of pocket, you can certainly afford to contribute to the FA fund.

But get this (not the OP here, BTW): We don't WANT to contribute to the FA fund.

For the life of me, I will never understand why regular middle class families like ours and OPs, who are already doing a lot by sending our kids to these schools and contributing nominally to the auction, annual fund, etc etc etc, are expected to subsidize OTHER MIDDLE CLASS KIDS (read: NOT low-income or otherwise truly "diverse" kids) simply because some parents are strapped because of their own student loans, or they chose to take (or could only find) jobs that do not pay top dollar.

So there.

+1

People like you and the PP are the reason why I left private school development. It is not philanthropy - it is cash for favors and in most cases shouldn't qualify as a gift under IRS code.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is clear: private schools are a bubble that needs to burst. By this I mean, the tuitions have been rising at an obscene rate for so long that it can no longer be justified (or paid) by any but the wealthiest among us. For years, middle and upper middle class professionals could justify scrimping and saving in order to provide private education for their children. Those days are ending quickly. Now at 40k and rising, those families risk putting themselves into dire financial straits in order to pay the tuition (and, as the op suggests, all the extra fundraising contributions, fees, etc). It is simply not sustainable.

I think this is actually a good point - especially in the DMV. All 4 of my kids have done a combo of public and private.

I grew up in the metro area of a large Midwestern city. Most of the private schools there are parochial or academic specialty (STEM). There are maybe 1-2 purely indepedent schools worth mentioning, but that is it. There is no market for high ticket independent schools there. People invest in the public schools which, by and large are above average.

I have lived here for 24 years and I am often amazed and the number and cost of private school education here. In my private school parent travels, I have noticed two things (not speaking to the educational merits). First, the private school is a badge of prestige here that people are willing to pay top $$ for. Second, a lot of people in this area believe that more expensive = better school.

Paying $40,000 for a ES or MS education is pure folly to me. The ONLY way that this whole independent school thing even works is because the DMV is economically stable compared to most other parts of the country. Any type of prolongoned downturn in this area would drive students back to public school and all but a few of these schools out of business.

My son is at a private school and I have to admit I am almost embarrassed. It is certainly not a badge of honor for me. I would rather tell folks my son is in public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been part of our DCs school community for four years, and have given generously to annual fund, capital projects, and FA. I can honestly say that some families receiving FA make it challenging for others to feel good about contributing to FA. Some of these families are in our circle, so we are privy to quite a bit of information. They (not grandparents, godparents, family friends, frequent flyer programs, etc) are paying for expensive sleep-away camps, several full family resort-based vacations to the islands or ski lodges or Martha's Vineyard during the breaks, Justin Bieber concert tickets, Washington Ballet lessons at $2K/year...the list goes on and on. No, I don't expect FA families to be downtrodden or live as paupers. But these types of things, by anyone's definition, are luxuries and are things that we cannot or don't afford to partake in ourselves. Yes, that's our choice and we could give a lot less and partake in a lot more. I don't enjoy having these things flaunted ostentatiously in the same breath that you're telling me how much FA you received this year. I know that there are formulas that schools follow to distribute FA, but these formulas do not always work as they were intended. Abuses exist, and it's ugly to see.

We know many financially able families who will give to the endowment or capital projects, but who give little or nothing to annual giving or the scholarship auction or FA. Unfortunately, a few FA recipients gaming the system impact those who really need the help.

Not doubting you, but curious about how this happens? Do people just lie about income and assets? How does the school not find out? Do you know how your school calculates need?

I would find this infuriating and would not be able to keep my mouth shut if someone who talked about getting FA was also talking about expensive vacations, etc.

Former DD here and I'll tell you. The more the tuition goes up, the fewer people the school can get to enroll at full price. But, they have an enrollment number they have to hit to make the budget. So they lure in folks who could afford it if they sacrificed but who threatened to go elsewhere by offering some FA. True story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1000 - you are supposed to disclose all sources of income but clearly people game the system. The people that we know are not adding economic or cultural diversity. I hate giving because of the families gaming the system.

Anonymous wrote:We have been part of our DCs school community for four years, and have given generously to annual fund, capital projects, and FA. I can honestly say that some families receiving FA make it challenging for others to feel good about contributing to FA. Some of these families are in our circle, so we are privy to quite a bit of information. They (not grandparents, godparents, family friends, frequent flyer programs, etc) are paying for expensive sleep-away camps, several full family resort-based vacations to the islands or ski lodges or Martha's Vineyard during the breaks, Justin Bieber concert tickets, Washington Ballet lessons at $2K/year...the list goes on and on. No, I don't expect FA families to be downtrodden or live as paupers. But these types of things, by anyone's definition, are luxuries and are things that we cannot or don't afford to partake in ourselves. Yes, that's our choice and we could give a lot less and partake in a lot more. I don't enjoy having these things flaunted ostentatiously in the same breath that you're telling me how much FA you received this year. I know that there are formulas that schools follow to distribute FA, but these formulas do not always work as they were intended. Abuses exist, and it's ugly to see.

We know many financially able families who will give to the endowment or capital projects, but who give little or nothing to annual giving or the scholarship auction or FA. Unfortunately, a few FA recipients gaming the system impact those who really need the help.

Then why aren't you and other parents who feel this way challenging your school's administration on these policies? Is it because you would fall out of favor (influence) if you spoke up? I just don't get why you would spend so much money sending your child to a school that is no better managed than your average public school, other than to keep up appearances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school's auction was last weekend; they had the usual "raise your paddle for FA" charade. During the Head of School's pep talk about "the need for FA being so great," people at our table were visibly smirking. (Myself included.)

Honestly, I don't see how anyone can stand up there with a straight face and beg for money for this purpose, when there is clearly NO ONE in the school who is from truly dire circumstances that would make anyone feel that supporting FA is worthwhile. Yes, there are definitely have-nots, as compared to the over the top haves, but even those from modest means in our school could never be termed truly "needy." Maybe they have a hard time swinging the tuition for a couple of kids -- hell, we have a hard time swinging the tuition for our two -- but if they have to look to others to subsidize them, then maybe they simply shouldn't be there.

Yes, only the rich should eat cake. What a peach you are. Why not challenge your school to do something meaningful about SES diversity? Oh right....because the reality is you don't want diversity at all.

[Anonymous]

PP are you going to spend the entire morning throwing insults and posting nasty remarks on this thread? Fun.

[Anonymous]

Folks should listen to the former DD quoted here:
"Former DD here and I'll tell you. The more the tuition goes up, the fewer people the school can get to enroll at full price. But, they have an enrollment number they have to hit to make the budget. So they lure in folks who could afford it if they sacrificed but who threatened to go elsewhere by offering some FA. True story. "

This board mistakenly assumes that if there were no FA, schools could fill up all their seats with full-pay families and maintain all their small classes, specials, etc. In fact, most private schools probably can't find enough full-pay families to pay all the bills as the DD says. Therefore, since their fixed costs remain the same (still need to offer specials, small classes, extras otherwise why would the remaining full-pay families come?), they need to offer FA to families who at least cover part of the cost.

Another way of saying this is that if there were no FA families who at least pay part of the tuition, full-pay families would be either paying a higher tuition for a smaller school or their kids would be in larger classes with fewer extras.

[Anonymous]

No. But it certainly seems I've touched a nerve, huh? I'm speaking from experience....I sat on the management team of a private school for two years. I've never seen such horrible mismanagement and corruption in my life. One thing I will say is the marketing is good....they fooled me into taking the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks should listen to the former DD quoted here:
"Former DD here and I'll tell you. The more the tuition goes up, the fewer people the school can get to enroll at full price. But, they have an enrollment number they have to hit to make the budget. So they lure in folks who could afford it if they sacrificed but who threatened to go elsewhere by offering some FA. True story. "

This board mistakenly assumes that if there were no FA, schools could fill up all their seats with full-pay families and maintain all their small classes, specials, etc. In fact, most private schools probably can't find enough full-pay families to pay all the bills as the DD says. Therefore, since their fixed costs remain the same (still need to offer specials, small classes, extras otherwise why would the remaining full-pay families come?), they need to offer FA to families who at least cover part of the cost.

Another way of saying this is that if there were no FA families who at least pay part of the tuition, full-pay families would be either paying a higher tuition for a smaller school or their kids would be in larger classes with fewer extras.

Former DD here and yes, this is EXACTLY what it means. These were the management convos that went on all the time. Sorry if I'm pushing buttons here....but at the prices you are paying you should all do better jobs of educating yourselves about just what you are getting and at what cost. I left fully convinced the school I was at was a complete rip-off..and logic tells me it can't be the only one. Sorry, but that's how I feel. Ripping on how much the DD makes is missing the point entirely.