Look at different schools and inquire about the amount of financial aid they award each year. We will be attending a private K-8 thanks to a generous FA package.

Why the snark on Catholic schools?

OP, you may want to consider moving to McLean or Fairfax Station.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The more affordable options are going to be the Catholic schools, like Gonzaga (about 20k) or O'Connell (about 15K for non-catholics). Not cheap, but less than, say Potomac (around 37K).

The competition is getting fierce to get into a lot of these schools because a large number of Arlington residents feel the same way you do.

The middle school teachers this year said they had an overwhelming number of reference letters to write - more than ever before - because a lot of kids are applying to privates from Arlington County.

It's kind of sad, such a highly rated public school system, and parents are opting out because of the incompetence of the Superintendant/School Board.

Ppl pay 37k/year for the Potomac School?? Gulp.

Yes, people pay 37k/year for the best school in Virginia

And people pay $40k+ for Holton and Landon, the best schools in MD.

Anonymous wrote:Isn't FFX just as bad? We need to stay close to DC, so moving someplace cheaper where we could afford private won't work for us. I think the Mclean area is all we could consider.

I don't get it. You think Arlington and Fairfax County Public Schools are unacceptable, even though those two counties are among the best public school systems in the country. Schools are only a part of a child's education and play a limited role in getting into a really selective college, let alone success and happiness in life. If you're an brand name school snob but make under $200k, move into an <$500k older condo on Wisconsin or Conn. Ave. and your child can walk to Sidwell, Maret, NCS/StA, or GDS (if they can get in). But there's still no guarantee of a Stanford admission at any of those schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If the situation is as dire as you say, you might consider moving. When you do the cost analysis with a couple of kids, it might be cheaper and better. The academic quality of these large Catholic high schools is comparable to better public schools.

Isn't FFX just as bad? We need to stay close to DC, so moving someplace cheaper where we could afford private won't work for us. I think the Mclean area is all we could consider.

Seems to me that the answer would be to move somewhere else where the schools are at least "good" and take the money you might spend on a very average Catholic high school an put it into real estate. That expense would be offset by the deductability of mortgage expense and any appreciation you might get.

If the Arlington schools are going to be as bad as you fear, than your current real estate values are going to suffer. And the values in the neighboring counties with better schools will increase because of supply and increased demand (as people flee or do not consider Arlington.)

Or you can stay and spend a ton of money on Catholic schools. That is, if you can get in them with all the increased demand you think will occur because of significant overcrowding in the APS system.

DJO is actually rejecting applicants now, even kids that went to Catholic parochial school. Catholic HS admission is much more competitive that it was even just a few years ago. You cannot have APS, ACPS, and FCPS superintendents running around predicting doom and gloom about the public schools without some people taking that as a cue to GTFO.

This is rather depressing. It's weird to be in a spot where we wouldn't get financial aide, but would probably not be able to afford full-price. Stuck in the middl

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bishop O'Connell alsocan go to Gonzaga in Dc

Do non-Catholics go to Bishop O'Connell? We don't have sons.

Why bother?
.

Because the APS SB is completely messing up right now and the HS situation is not going to be good! They are talking about alternative scheduling and burying their heads in the sand about the 2,775 seat shortage.

Ireton and O'Connell cannot support and are not interested in a couple of thousand additional non-Catholic students. They have to serve their base which includes the parish schools that historically send their children to these high schools.

If the situation is as dire as you say, you might consider moving. When you do the cost analysis with a couple of kids, it might be cheaper and better. The academic quality of these large Catholic high schools is comparable to better public schools.

There are no trailers at Catholic schools. They have set class size and that's it. The only thing more applicants does is make it more competitive. This is true of all private schools.

Anonymous wrote:Bishop Ireton isn't that cheap.

Tuition:

Catholic, Resident of Arlington ......... $14,660

Catholic, Not Arlington Resident ........ $16,440

Non-Catholic ....................................$19,150

For a Non-Catholic child for four years that's $76,600 after tax dollars. For two children it's $153,200 after tax dollars or about $200,000 pre-tax income.

First, that a resident of the Arlington Diocese, not Arlington County. The Diocese is basically all of NOVA.

Second, there is a discount for multiple children. Second child pays 80%, 3rd child pays 50%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If the situation is as dire as you say, you might consider moving. When you do the cost analysis with a couple of kids, it might be cheaper and better. The academic quality of these large Catholic high schools is comparable to better public schools.

Isn't FFX just as bad? We need to stay close to DC, so moving someplace cheaper where we could afford private won't work for us. I think the Mclean area is all we could consider.

Seems to me that the answer would be to move somewhere else where the schools are at least "good" and take the money you might spend on a very average Catholic high school an put it into real estate. That expense would be offset by the deductability of mortgage expense and any appreciation you might get.

If the Arlington schools are going to be as bad as you fear, than your current real estate values are going to suffer. And the values in the neighboring counties with better schools will increase because of supply and increased demand (as people flee or do not consider Arlington.)

Or you can stay and spend a ton of money on Catholic schools. That is, if you can get in them with all the increased demand you think will occur because of significant overcrowding in the APS system.

Anonymous wrote:
If the situation is as dire as you say, you might consider moving. When you do the cost analysis with a couple of kids, it might be cheaper and better. The academic quality of these large Catholic high schools is comparable to better public schools.

Isn't FFX just as bad? We need to stay close to DC, so moving someplace cheaper where we could afford private won't work for us. I think the Mclean area is all we could consider.

Bishop Ireton isn't that cheap.

Tuition:

Catholic, Resident of Arlington ......... $14,660

Catholic, Not Arlington Resident ........ $16,440

Non-Catholic ....................................$19,150

For a Non-Catholic child for four years that's $76,600 after tax dollars. For two children it's $153,200 after tax dollars or about $200,000 pre-tax income.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bishop O'Connell alsocan go to Gonzaga in Dc

Do non-Catholics go to Bishop O'Connell? We don't have sons.

Why bother?
.

Because the APS SB is completely messing up right now and the HS situation is not going to be good! They are talking about alternative scheduling and burying their heads in the sand about the 2,775 seat shortage.

Ireton and O'Connell cannot support and are not interested in a couple of thousand additional non-Catholic students. They have to serve their base which includes the parish schools that historically send their children to these high schools.

If the situation is as dire as you say, you might consider moving. When you do the cost analysis with a couple of kids, it might be cheaper and better. The academic quality of these large Catholic high schools is comparable to better public schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The more affordable options are going to be the Catholic schools, like Gonzaga (about 20k) or O'Connell (about 15K for non-catholics). Not cheap, but less than, say Potomac (around 37K).

The competition is getting fierce to get into a lot of these schools because a large number of Arlington residents feel the same way you do.

The middle school teachers this year said they had an overwhelming number of reference letters to write - more than ever before - because a lot of kids are applying to privates from Arlington County.

It's kind of sad, such a highly rated public school system, and parents are opting out because of the incompetence of the Superintendant/School Board.

Ppl pay 37k/year for the Potomac School?? Gulp.

Yes, people pay 37k/year for the best school in Virginia