Did you lose your job since signing the contract? If so maybe the contract talks about changed circumstances.

Unfortunately, you don’t have many options. I hope you have insurance—reach out to them and find out how much they will cover. Hopefully, the account can be settled. I understand this is hard to face, but it's a business decision.

Also, consider finding another school for your son. I know this is difficult, but try to approach it without any emotional attachment.

Anonymous wrote:I should have never committed to the new school year but I wanted my son to have some stability by keeping him in his private school. I have been continuously late with monthly tuition payments, begged, borrowed and stole (not really) but I have no more immediate funds until I find a job. The school has told me that my child cannot attend any further until I bring my account current. What can I do? School has no financial aid in the pot for me.

I'm sorry OP but I JUST don't get it. If you cannot afford private WHY on earth would you subject your family to financial instability? private schools are not always the best option for kids, and guess what - even if they are slightly better than your public school, living on the financial edge like you are is so unhealthy for your whole family.

My DS has learning disabilities and I would like to send him to a school where the tuition is $45K a year but I will not do that to our family! We have a healthy HHI and still have no idea how we could make it work. Sure maybe we could for one year but you have to think about beyond. PUtting them in private for one year and yanking them out does more damage than just staying put in your adequate public and supplementing with tutoring if need be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish you had other options OP! I actually started a private fund at our school for parents who couldn't finish out the year because I hated seeing kids getting yanked out mid year. It happened to me as a single mother and 7 years later I am at a much better place so don't let your current situation get you down, you will rise out of it OP!! PS: enrolling my kid mid year in a very crappy public school in no way scared him or ruined him, he was actually totally fine. I kept him in this "poor preforming" school for 3 years and he was still fine, because I was an active parent in his education which is often time all it takes to make a "crappy" school a good one.

This is so true and something I wish more parents would wrap their heads around. Do you ever want to see your kid in a crappy school? Of course not. But building your entire life/career/finances about making sure your kid can go private or to the best public is not worth the energy! Read to your kid every night, make sure they hear 5,000 words before they are 5, help them with their homework and they will THRIVE.

A crappy public is never a good choice. Parental involvement does not make up for the environment or lack of resources

A private school that uses up all of a parents cash and credit, leaving them completely bereft in the event of a true crisis is a worse choice. If she burns all resources, both cash and credit and has an emergency, then they could end up not only with the child out of the private school, but also homeless or OP losing her job because she can't get to work (say her car dies and she cannot afford to fix it) or some other dire situation. She cannot afford the school and burning all resources she has available to support that is a foolish decision.

Anonymous wrote:Can you charge the remaining payments? if not, I have read advice that says changing schools after spring break is a good strategy for kids.

Please do not consider doing this. While I understand that you want stability for your child, the fact is that you can no longer afford the private school and putting yourself into long term financial crisis is far more damaging to your child than putting him in a weak school for a year or two. What happens if your family has a financial crisis? One of you has a health issue? You car is totaled and insurance will only pay a certain amount which is less than what you need for a comparable replacement? Your home has an issue that will require a large payment to fix? You have exhausted your cash reserves. Any credit that you have is the only emergency fund that you have. If you charge the payments and max out your credit, then if your family has a real emergency, then you could end up with far worse circumstances that you cannot afford.

Your child will survive a few years in public school in order to get your family financial house in order. He and you may be in significantly worse shape if you cannot afford an emergency that occurs when you burn all of your resources for a school you cannot afford.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish you had other options OP! I actually started a private fund at our school for parents who couldn't finish out the year because I hated seeing kids getting yanked out mid year. It happened to me as a single mother and 7 years later I am at a much better place so don't let your current situation get you down, you will rise out of it OP!! PS: enrolling my kid mid year in a very crappy public school in no way scared him or ruined him, he was actually totally fine. I kept him in this "poor preforming" school for 3 years and he was still fine, because I was an active parent in his education which is often time all it takes to make a "crappy" school a good one.

This is so true and something I wish more parents would wrap their heads around. Do you ever want to see your kid in a crappy school? Of course not. But building your entire life/career/finances about making sure your kid can go private or to the best public is not worth the energy! Read to your kid every night, make sure they hear 5,000 words before they are 5, help them with their homework and they will THRIVE.

A crappy public is never a good choice. Parental involvement does not make up for the environment or lack of resources

Anonymous wrote:I wish you had other options OP! I actually started a private fund at our school for parents who couldn't finish out the year because I hated seeing kids getting yanked out mid year. It happened to me as a single mother and 7 years later I am at a much better place so don't let your current situation get you down, you will rise out of it OP!! PS: enrolling my kid mid year in a very crappy public school in no way scared him or ruined him, he was actually totally fine. I kept him in this "poor preforming" school for 3 years and he was still fine, because I was an active parent in his education which is often time all it takes to make a "crappy" school a good one.

This is so true and something I wish more parents would wrap their heads around. Do you ever want to see your kid in a crappy school? Of course not. But building your entire life/career/finances about making sure your kid can go private or to the best public is not worth the energy! Read to your kid every night, make sure they hear 5,000 words before they are 5, help them with their homework and they will THRIVE.

Anonymous wrote:I should have never committed to the new school year but I wanted my son to have some stability by keeping him in his private school. I have been continuously late with monthly tuition payments, begged, borrowed and stole (not really) but I have no more immediate funds until I find a job. The school has told me that my child cannot attend any further until I bring my account current. What can I do? School has no financial aid in the pot for me.

OP, is there any work you can do for the school to fulfill your payment obligations? Is there office work, yard work, ANY work that you can do for them in a barter situation? I knew of a family in our last school who did maintenance work to offset his child's tuition. Maybe they could find something for you since you are not working right now.

Yes, with all the snow things haven't really gotten on track yet this semester, so now's a good time.

One thing to keep in mind OP. Most of the DC area public schools only started second semester a few days ago. If you need to pull your child to the local public, this isn't a bad time to do it.

Where are you on the payment cycle? Ours went from something like May to February, so the last payment for this school year would be the next one. If you are on that cycle you might want to stick it out since you've essentially prepaid. Maybe work out a longer term payment plan with the school. And obviously don't re-enroll - make plans for public school for next year. Also what was your enrollment deposit - you should get that back at the end of the year and can apply that to your balance. Ours was $1500 at one school and $3500 at another so it could make a dent.

Speak with the school about their expectations for the balance.

If they are willing to call it even if you withdraw now, take your child out and start public. I agree with the others - he will be fine. Keep it simple that this school was not working out for you as a family and you'd like him to be in the neighborhood school.

If they are going to hold you to it regardless, then keep your child there for the rest of the year since you are paying for it anyway!! Work out a payment plan going into next year if need be so they know you are serious about repaying even through you child obviously won't be returning.

I'm sorry your school won't work with you on this.

Anonymous wrote:I wish you had other options OP! I actually started a private fund at our school for parents who couldn't finish out the year because I hated seeing kids getting yanked out mid year. It happened to me as a single mother and 7 years later I am at a much better place so don't let your current situation get you down, you will rise out of it OP!! PS: enrolling my kid mid year in a very crappy public school in no way scared him or ruined him, he was actually totally fine. I kept him in this "poor preforming" school for 3 years and he was still fine, because I was an active parent in his education which is often time all it takes to make a "crappy" school a good one.

That's awsome. Don't know your school but they are lucky to have you! I hope families contribute

15a;29 again. Thank you to the mom that started the fund. I have not been in that situation but know how that can happen to a family. You are a wonderful person for trying to make things better for children in these most difficult times.

Make a deal with the private on our way out so they don't take you to court for the remaining balance after you leave. They will likely make a deal with you now but often parents end up paying later for the remainder of the contract. Your child will be fine in public but you need to resolve the contract.