Bang!Zoom! Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Just a random piece of trivia I found today; though I'm sure there are higher out there. That's for one year of K-8 at Bentley. This makes me giggle. http://www.bentleyschool.net/podium/default.aspx?t=114776 What do they do, greet the kids with fresh organic roses coordinated with your child's sock or hair bow each morning or something? lol.. I'm sure it's super though. Amazing price tag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 There is a school here who's tuition is $18K per year, but donations on top of that are expected. That is for the lower grades. Upper grades are 20K per year. There were schools where we moved from that were 30K per year. And the thing is, if you don't send them in K, there won't be room for them in later grades!!!!! Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-private-schools-2011-4#bonus-switzerlands-institut-le-rosey-is-the-most-expensive-private-school-in-the-world-29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Welcome to my neck of the woods! I pass Bentley several times per week when I'm out and about. It's got country-club like facilities but the main reason why it's so pricey is because there are lots of rich folks who don't mind paying through the nose for things no longer found in the public schools: small class sizes, art, music, PE, foreign language in the elementary & middle grades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 Oh boy, just breezing though some of their websites makes me crazy with envy. What absolutely beautiful settings. Really amazing course offerings too. I try to remember we are all human though. One of the schools has 75% of the staff holding doctorate degrees. Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Our local co-ed prep school is 16K for Kindergarten. Like a PP said, if you don't get your child in at kindergarten, or preferably pre-school, there likely won't be room for them at all (unless you have some connections or your child is super-exceptional in some way). Upper school is 20K+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 That's ALL? Dude, I drive past Sidwell all the time. Tuition there is 31K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We used to live a street away from the most prestigious private school in Phoenix. I strongly considered going back to teaching to get my boys in tuition free, but realized that despite all the money and prestige, it was still only average, academically. Having gone to Yale, where many of my fellow students were prep school grads, I think that parents pay for the name more than the education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 I don't know much about Sidwell except that most of the politicians children go there (that is my current impression)- is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Sidwell is a Quaker school that, IMO as someone who taught for a long time at a REAL Quaker school, is not very Quaker anymore. A number of politicians' kids go there, but you could say that about any of the really big prestigious schools around here. It's a HUGE school, with beautiful grounds, buildings, athletic facilities, technology, etc. etc. The whole deal. Lots of kids go there. Kids with money, that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I wish I could say I was shocked but I'm not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 What are some of the basic principals of Quaker education? I am a blank page on this subject, know zero. It sure sounds interesting though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksr5377 Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 When we were first looking at private schools before deciding to homeschool we came across two ridiculously priced schools. In highschool, when tuition would be $24K, they went on a trip abroad each year. I figured we could take our entire FAMILY abroad for less than a years tuition more than once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 There's an international school here that, if I'd had an extra 20K a year, DD would be attending now-mostly because it was dual immersion starting in PK (three adults in the room-one speaking only Spanish, one speaking only Mandarin, one speaking only English, with part of each day in each language-English/Reading was the only subject taught in English). Plus it was a tiny child-staff ratio (something like 12 kids per class to those 3 adults), wonderful programs in everything, lots of international travel experiences as kids get older.... But 20K a year, for 14 years......There was no way! And that was just tuition-not uniforms, fees, books.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Well I am guessing that some of the tuition must go to engraved scissors, b/c otherwise I'm :001_huh: :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 All I can think of is that my dc are educated, and we spent nothing close to that amount of money on K. In fact we didn't spend that much money total on their hsing education. But I guess if there is a desire, there will be a business designed to cater to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We contemplated putting our girls in something like that. We're near the Princeton-area private schools. It was cheaper for me to quit my F/T job and homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 "The Bentley Annual Fund Each year, Bentley families are asked to make a tax-deductible, unrestricted contribution to Bentley's Annual Fund. These donations are used to help the School fund the difference between the tuition and the actual cost of a Bentley education. We strive for 100 percent participation by our families each year and ask that everyone give at a level that is comfortable for them. All gifts, large and small, make a positive difference in the annual operations of the School and we are deeply grateful for each contribution." They really expect this on top of the fees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 "The Bentley Annual FundEach year, Bentley families are asked to make a tax-deductible, unrestricted contribution to Bentley's Annual Fund. These donations are used to help the School fund the difference between the tuition and the actual cost of a Bentley education. We strive for 100 percent participation by our families each year and ask that everyone give at a level that is comfortable for them. All gifts, large and small, make a positive difference in the annual operations of the School and we are deeply grateful for each contribution." They really expect this on top of the fees? And the additional costs for books, fees, and field trips :001_huh: Oh, well, I guess if you can afford the tuition, the other stuff is just pocket change. "Books, Fees, and Field Trips The costs for books vary on a yearly and grade-level basis. Book lists are provided for the coming year’s curriculum before the end of the current school year. Some books and materials are ordered by the School, distributed directly in class and billed separately. Parents/Guardians should expect to incur additional expenses – athletic uniforms, activity clubs, yearbooks, supplies associated with elective courses, transportation, selected food programs and the like. Field trips are considered an important component to Bentley’s academic programs and participation is expected. The cost for trips – ranging from the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon – may vary each year. All additional charges are billed monthly." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 "The Bentley Annual FundEach year, Bentley families are asked to make a tax-deductible, unrestricted contribution to Bentley's Annual Fund. These donations are used to help the School fund the difference between the tuition and the actual cost of a Bentley education. We strive for 100 percent participation by our families each year and ask that everyone give at a level that is comfortable for them. All gifts, large and small, make a positive difference in the annual operations of the School and we are deeply grateful for each contribution." They really expect this on top of the fees? This is probably a separate entity than tuition and fees because it is probably used for different purposes. I would guess that it might be used for scholarships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Wow. That's just a whole different planet, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 If people have the money to pay for private education, good for them. In addition to giving their children the education they want, they are helping employ a boatload of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Wow! I'm glad I homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 We contemplated putting our girls in something like that. We're near the Princeton-area private schools. It was cheaper for me to quit my F/T job and homeschool. :iagree:Us too. We looked at private schools that started at 20K. I couldn't see investing in that lifestyle of both of us working full time. Some of the kids were dropped off in limos with parents never to be seen. I can't imagine raising my kids surrounded by that much wealth and entitlement. Many parts of these schools were nice, but honestly, after 2 years of PS other than some of the extras like music, I liked the feel and community of our highly rated PS better. It just wasn't a fit for our oldest (gifted). I got the feeling he wouldn't have been any happier at these schools, and maybe even been less happy (more one size fits all in terms of educating kids). Oh - and I know people who spend 20K+ on school and are full on after schoolers anyway!? That I do not get. For 20K it should be sunshine and roses and absolutely perfect for every child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 If people have the money to pay for private education, good for them. In addition to giving their children the education they want, they are helping employ a boatload of people. Well, yeah...but then there's this: "The Bentley Annual FundEach year, Bentley families are asked to make a tax-deductible, unrestricted contribution to Bentley's Annual Fund. These donations are used to help the School fund the difference between the tuition and the actual cost of a Bentley education. Really? :rolleyes: That sort of thing makes me want to heave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 Well, yeah...but then there's this: Really? :rolleyes: That sort of thing makes me want to heave. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I have experience with a private school and that is typical of independent schools in the US as far as I know. Tuition never covers the whole cost of educating a child, parents are expected to pay additional fees, participate in fund raising, donation campaigns, etc. The amounts of money suggested have nothing to do with you can find in your regular public school PTA campaign. Attending the live auction at a fund raiser event is also kind of interesting. On the positive side independent schools tend to offer financial aid and scholarships as well that come from their endowment fund etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 :svengo: I'm with ya. :svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ksol Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I couldn't imagine that for Kindergarten. I had the luxury of attending a prep school for a few years and honestly, if I had the money, I would let my kids attend. THe tuition is $45,000 a year now. (that is for boarding students, day students are "only" $33,000) I attended that school, public school in good and bad districts and was also homeschooled for three years. For me, the education in the private school was phenomenal. MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better than public school and I don't know that I could compare it to homeschool since the grade levels were so different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 If people have the money to pay for private education, good for them. In addition to giving their children the education they want, they are helping employ a boatload of people. :iagree: Who are we to say how someone else spends his/her money? Just because my family holds certain beliefs about money doesn't mean they are the only correct beliefs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) Well, yeah...but then there's this: Really? :rolleyes: That sort of thing makes me want to heave. When schools apply for grants and accreditation and anything else they apply for, the % of students/families/alumni who donate is always a major factor: it's supposed to show satisfaction with the school. All schools, from preschools who want to apply for grants right on up to colleges and grad schools try to get their participation as close to 100% as possible. They don't care if you give a dollar... honestly, they'd rather 100% give $1 than 10% give $10,000. That's why college alumni offices are relentless about contacting you. There is a school near me that I believe is about $25,000 per year for elementary. I am thinking of applying there for DS. We could never, ever afford even a small fraction of that price, but they apparently have a very generous scholarship program. I figure they charge through the nose for people who can afford it, and use that to subsidize families who can't. FWIW, we'll have to apply for DS for preschool, because they get 100+ applicants for their 30 kindergarten slots. Edited August 30, 2011 by momma2three typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I have experience with a private school and that is typical of independent schools in the US as far as I know. Tuition never covers the whole cost of educating a child, parents are expected to pay additional fees, participate in fund raising, donation campaigns, etc. The amounts of money suggested have nothing to do with you can find in your regular public school PTA campaign. Attending the live auction at a fund raiser event is also kind of interesting. On the positive side independent schools tend to offer financial aid and scholarships as well that come from their endowment fund etc. That's what I was thinking of --- an endowment fund is used for scholarships. I still don't get why the request for the donation to the annual fund would make Barb want to heave. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I have experience with a private school and that is typical of independent schools in the US as far as I know. Tuition never covers the whole cost of educating a child, parents are expected to pay additional fees, participate in fund raising, donation campaigns, etc. We are not expected to give money beyond the boys' fees, except their personal expenses for uniforms, trips, lunches, etc. There is a PTA, but it organises small-scale events to fund, for example, new curtains for the school hall. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I know a mom who was signing her kids up for a private Kindy with a similar price tag. While she pretended to be shocked and a bit put-off by the dollar figure, it actually seemed like she was using it as a bragging tool. Sigh. Just thinking about what I could do with that much money for my school....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 But I guess if there is a desire, there will be a business designed to cater to it. Most CA public schools are so lousy (even in affluent neighborhoods) that it's less of a desire than a need. In some districts, anyone who actually cares about their child's education either pays for private or homeschools. It's actually quite sad :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 A similar school in our area is only just over 14K for Kindergarten. Things are a bargain in the Midwest. :D We have been on campus for testing (they host the EXPORE testing for talent searches,) and it is amazing. I think the local Montessori school is more than that, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieH Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 My two youngest were in Montessori the last few years and it was 9K per year per child..I just couldn't do it anymore. I really wanted my son to go to a private elementary school for kids with adhd and aspergers etc...its called "COOL School" and has an awesome reputation. Well... I emailed to inquire of tuition..wait till you hear this. It's a DAY school...not "boarding"..just drop them off pick them up... FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND A YEAR. I thought for sure the man responding maybe was dyslexic or had given me a typo, meaning $5500....but nope...he was right. And this is not at ALL in any kind of affluent area. I mean, who can do that??? Good for them if they can. I just was floored at the cost. It's even more than the Hampshire school that Temple Grandin went to that is also a boarding school. I don't get it. I was nice, and just responded really? That's more than Harvard's tuition room and board combined!!! LOL (it was!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) I don't know how public schools manage on less, or without parental support in the form of markers and glue sticks etc. ;) It's shocking they can do anything at all 10 or 15k or so a kid, plus maintain buildings etc. Edited August 31, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 If we lived nearby and could swing it, I would send my son to Phillips Exeter just so he could study math with Zuming Feng in high school. I know kids who got into Illinois Math And Science Academy but chose to live as boarders at Exeter just to study with him. The price tag is very high but not all pay the full price. Many years ago, I got a full-ride scholarship to St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, but couldn't go because my dad was seriously injured by a drunk driver (he eventually died from his injuries), and my youngest brother got a full-ride to Cranbrook in Michigan. Cranbrook was a fabulous experience for my brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) I agree. For a thoughtful student Exeter is worth every dime. It might not be a guarantee into an Ivy in the way it used to be, but so what? The opportunities there are great. If we lived nearby and could swing it, I would send my son to Phillips Exeter just so he could study math with Zuming Feng in high school. I know kids who got into Illinois Math And Science Academy but chose to live as boarders at Exeter just to study with him. The price tag is very high but not all pay the full price. Many years ago, I got a full-ride scholarship to St. Paul's School in Concord, NH, but couldn't go because my dad was seriously injured by a drunk driver (he eventually died from his injuries), and my youngest brother got a full-ride to Cranbrook in Michigan. Cranbrook was a fabulous experience for my brother. Edited August 31, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eloquacious Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 ... All of this makes me wonder how anyone ever achieved anything in a one-room school with a slate. That being said, I do know that part of what drives the cost of those schools is the cost of good teachers. I thought about teaching at a few of those schools, and I could have made twice as much as being a public school teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) Does anyone need more than bread and water? ;) ... All of this makes me wonder how anyone ever achieved anything in a one-room school with a slate. That being said, I do know that part of what drives the cost of those schools is the cost of good teachers. I thought about teaching at a few of those schools, and I could have made twice as much as being a public school teacher. Edited August 30, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 LOL, I noticed the mandatory donation to the school too. That's crazy....a tuition that high should cover everything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 I was looking at some of the "featured amenities" of these schools. iPad / computer labs / on-campus museums.... And I thought, "Geez, you know..homeschooling has that and a bag of chips with it.." You get: A personal chef Customized curriculum Small class yadda yadda... Has anyone ever stopped to calculate what the "worth" of a high-quality homeschool education would literally cost if listed out that way? Let's say it's the "same as" Bentley, and you are teaching say..four students.. You could easily calculate a quarter to half-million dollars a year price tag that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 ... All of this makes me wonder how anyone ever achieved anything in a one-room school with a slate. That being said, I do know that part of what drives the cost of those schools is the cost of good teachers. I thought about teaching at a few of those schools, and I could have made twice as much as being a public school teacher. Well, they could achieve 8th grade... but if they wanted to go much further, many of them would have to go to a boarding school, some of which are the same ones mentioned here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted August 30, 2011 Author Share Posted August 30, 2011 You bring up some good stuff Patty. It took me about three days to recover my breath after discovering my youngest daughter's schedule at ps. I kept thinking to myself, "How in the world did my teachers get into me what they did with similar time allocations?" Why are things so different? Now my mother, like you were generationally reflecting, had a much stricter education than I did. My education was "less than" hers I think. And my children I think, were receiving less than me. Why the difference? Is it a matter of perceptional bias of those realities or is it fact? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 I think there is a qualitative difference in what can be offered, given that you can hire superb teachers, and you have super invested parents and a culture of education at a school that is well focused. This is so key and why a school like Bentley can charge so much yet still have more applicants than available slots. In my neighborhood, none of the folks we know have kids or grandkids in the zoned PS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 My mom taught in a one-room schoolhouse for a few years that went up to eighth grade. She enjoyed having the freedom to design what she wanted, but on the other hand, that came with a lot of responsibility. What I think she secretly loved most were the grandmothers who came in to make lunch and snacks for the school. Everyone loved their cooking. Nobody was ever hungry. The documentary movie To Be and To Have tells the story of a French teacher teaching in a one-room schoolhouse and gives a glimpse into that type of environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 ...That being said, I do know that part of what drives the cost of those schools is the cost of good teachers. I thought about teaching at a few of those schools, and I could have made twice as much as being a public school teacher. Very true at my son's high school. A starting teacher makes in the $40Ks to 50Ks whereas someone with experience makes as much as $140Ks, and I think even more. They are usually well-qualified. For example, my son's English teacher has a PhD in Shakespearean studies and spends a period of time every summer studying more. The last few summers, he's been involved with some program at Oxford. Most students think he's very hard, but they absolutely love him. The math teachers are wonderful, but there is only one Zuming Feng(!). We are happy, though. Music is fantastic. The school pays for these teachers, and I believe it makes a difference. I don't know what I'll be thinking six months from now, though. I'm guardedly optimistic at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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