Sidwell tuition increase

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either Sidwell is spending extravagantly or just overcharging families.

That is standard tuition at DC privates. You must not be from around here.

Both of you are correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our big-3, teachers get financial aid just like any other family. That works out a pretty massive tuition "remission" if the family's income is fairly low. The average amount of annual aid is around $25,000. Average, across the school.

That assumes teachers married to other teachers or similar.

These jobs are really for people whose spouse has a robust salary and benefits. Sidwell didn't even offer health insurance until the 90s.

It's not an employment benefit -- and thus should not be considered "tuition remission" -- if they are eligible on the same terms as all other families.

Correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Sidwell tuition for the middle and upper school looks like it's similar to other schools only because, as a PP stated, the lower grades pay the same tuition as the higher grades. If they continued the typical practice of private schools, having the lower school pay less than middle school and upper school paying more than both, then the upper school tuition would be dramatically higher than for similar schools. This would make the school look bad.

What's worse for lower school parents and students, despite paying a much higher tuition compared to other lower schools, the class size is larger than most lower schools. Sidwell starts with a class of 24 to 2 , compared to less than 20 to 2 for most private lower schools.

No. After K most privates are 14-18:1 so Sidwell's ratio and grouping structure is actually better at 12:1.

Wrong. All of the private schools I'm familiar with in this area have student teacher ratio in lower grades of 10 to 1 or less. There may be some with the ratios you stated but that is not typical. I don't know one private with 18 students per teacher in lower grades. Sidwell is the only school I know of that has high ratio 24 to 2 even in K.

I am not wrong. Potomac has 16-18:1 for grades 1-6. Sheridan has 12-13:1. Maret has about 14:1 after K. And I know there are others too.

[Anonymous]

So Sidwell teachers get no discount in tuition if their kids attend Sidwell? They must get a bump in admission though.

[Anonymous]

Actually no. Some SFS teachers need to wait multiple years to get children into the school (especially at the lower grades)...

[Anonymous]

It absolutely blows my mind that people continue to pay these prices.

- Rich Sidwell alum

[Anonymous]

why so judgmental? myob anyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why so judgmental? myob anyone? [/quote

if someone posts a topic on DCUM, it's up for grabs. I am not butting into your business if you post your topic on an anonymous listserve that, literally anyone with an email address, is allowed to express an opinion. My opinion on this one is....a fool and his money are soon parted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely blows my mind that people continue to pay these prices.

- Rich Sidwell alum

You obviously don't live in NW DC with middle or upper school-aged kids where school options are far more limited than in MD or VA suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely blows my mind that people continue to pay these prices.

- Rich Sidwell alum

You obviously don't live in NW DC with middle or upper school-aged kids where school options are far more limited than in MD or VA suburbs.

Why do you live in NW DC if it has limited school options? If you can afford to live in NW, you can afford Arlington or Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely blows my mind that people continue to pay these prices.

- Rich Sidwell alum

You obviously don't live in NW DC with middle or upper school-aged kids where school options are far more limited than in MD or VA suburbs.

Why do you live in NW DC if it has limited school options? If you can afford to live in NW, you can afford Arlington or Bethesda.

Maybe they like DC and Sidwell better than Bethesda and MCPS, which certainly has its warts? And can afford it? Not rocket science. People do different things with their money and value different experiences etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely blows my mind that people continue to pay these prices.

- Rich Sidwell alum

You obviously don't live in NW DC with middle or upper school-aged kids where school options are far more limited than in MD or VA suburbs.

Why do you live in NW DC if it has limited school options? If you can afford to live in NW, you can afford Arlington or Bethesda.

It's never about not being able to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely blows my mind that people continue to pay these prices.

- Rich Sidwell alum

You obviously don't live in NW DC with middle or upper school-aged kids where school options are far more limited than in MD or VA suburbs.

Why do you live in NW DC if it has limited school options? If you can afford to live in NW, you can afford Arlington or Bethesda.

Slavery.

It's all about slavery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So Sidwell teachers get no discount in tuition if their kids attend Sidwell? They must get a bump in admission though.

No and no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So Sidwell teachers get no discount in tuition if their kids attend Sidwell? They must get a bump in admission though.

No and no.

Yes and yes. They receive a favorable calculation of need in the formula and they receive the highest priority status in the application process. The outcomes, mentioned here frequently, do not tell the whole story. With a ratio of five or ten to one applicants to slots at every entry year, of course some faculty children are going to come out on the short end, with some very highly qualified candidates waiting for openings in future years. You can't compare the outcomes to schools with lower academic requirements and less demand tension.