How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

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kasamasa
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How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by kasamasa »

Looking to buy a house in Seattle and trying to estimate how much of a value to place on a good school district. My current estimate is about 250k for private school but I don't know if that's reasonable or if there are other hidden costs to consider about private school
sailaway
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by sailaway »

How long is a piece of string?

You will have to look at the school you are interested in, as the answers to this question vary greatly.
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kasamasa
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by kasamasa »

sailaway - pieces of string have a very wide variety of sizes. Private schools on the other hand have a more finite range and I'm looking for a ballpark to help plan around. Unfortunately private schools don't have their tuition rates available online and a lot of them require me to come in to discuss the financial aspects. Given that I don't even have a house yet this is a time investment I'm not ready to make yet and I'm hoping to leverage estimates from people who have some numbers already
123
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by 123 »

If you have to ask...

Prices I've familiar with are $10K - $30K a year, varies by school and location.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

My experience was in NJ, but the costs there ranged up to $40k/year/child for an academically rigorous school with a portion of students on scholarship. Religious schools were less expensive I think.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
WorkToLive
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by WorkToLive »

I live near Washington, DC. Non-religious schools here currently range from $15k to $50k/year.
smitcat
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by smitcat »

kasamasa wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:03 pm sailaway - pieces of string have a very wide variety of sizes. Private schools on the other hand have a more finite range and I'm looking for a ballpark to help plan around. Unfortunately private schools don't have their tuition rates available online and a lot of them require me to come in to discuss the financial aspects. Given that I don't even have a house yet this is a time investment I'm not ready to make yet and I'm hoping to leverage estimates from people who have some numbers already

Perhaps google 'how much does private school cost in seattle"
One hit from this search is below....
https://www.privateschoolreview.com/tui ... washington
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Raymond
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by Raymond »

I found these on Google:

"Best Seattle Private Schools (2021)" - privateschoolreview.com (looks like smitcat already posted this)

"More than 1 in 5 Seattle students are enrolled in private schools, among highest in nation" - seattletimes.com

If you're wanting input from Bogleheads who live in Seattle, you might want to add "Seattle" to the title of this thread to attract those people.
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cshell2
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by cshell2 »

This is like asking how much does a car cost.

My kids go to a private Catholic school that is HEAVILY subsidized by wealthy alumni and international boarding students that pay 40K/year. The day students are only $2500-6K/year depending on grade, but I don't even pay that because again...wealthy alumni is paying half the tuition for all day students and has been for the past 8 years.

I think the range is going to be a few thousand to 20-40K/year. Not very helpful to you specifically.
Krui24
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by Krui24 »

I know the area.

Some Catholic schools can be a relative bargain at around $12k for k - 6 and closer to $20k for HS.

Premier private schools start around $25k and go to $35 - $40k for HS.

Hidden costs are things like auctions and fundraisers. There isn't usually specific pressure to participate, but there can be things like groups of parents saying "Let's buy a table together!!" and you don't want to be the party pooper. Also some parents are VERY wealthy and do things like take the entire class all-expenses paid to NYC to see Hamilton (true story). Also there is very little economic diversity.

In other words, it's all crazy expensive, paid with after-tax dollars, and if you have multiple kids, all the more so...
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by jaguar3003 »

What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
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leeks
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by leeks »

most do have it online somewhere hidden under the admissions section, keep poking around (or just call to ask)

most fall in the range of $10-$60K per child per year
apres_all_day
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by apres_all_day »

WorkToLive wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:07 pm I live near Washington, DC. Non-religious schools here currently range from $15k to $50k/year.
Which non-religious privates are $15K?

A half decent Catholic high school is $20K-30K in the DC area.

I'm originally from Southern California, which is awash in affordable private schools. The place I attended for K-8 now charges around $9K for a single kid for the entire year. You can lower the costs on a per kid basis if you have more than one kid.

My daycare bill in DC is $2K/month for my toddler and that's considered CHEAP.
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by Beach »

Krui24 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:15 pm In other words, it's all crazy expensive, paid with after-tax dollars, and if you have multiple kids, all the more so...
You can use a 529 plan now for private schools?
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by rage_phish »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I retesting. I wouldn’t have guessed private school teachers earn less
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by HootingSloth »

I agree with others that you will get much more mileage looking at specific schools because the range is very large. I have usually been able to find tuition information without needing to jump through lots of hoops, although I have not been looking in Seattle. If you just want to pick a relatively conservative number, it seems unlikely you will go much past $40k. That's assuming that you are not thinking about boarding school, which can get significantly higher and even up into the $80k+ range.
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rascott
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by rascott »

Private, highly rated schools (K-8) within a few miles of my house range from $5k-$35k. The cheaper ones are Catholic schools that get subsidized to some degree by the parish and archdiocese.
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by rascott »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425

Many valid reasons. Biggest I've heard of are wanting a smaller learning environment. Private schools typically offer much smaller class sizes. The large high schools in wealthy areas near me are larger than many colleges.

But also don't confuse that there can be very expensive homes in generally poor to average school districts. This is often the case in urban/near-urban areas.

I'd also note that your article was written in 2019. A lot has changed in parents minds since then.
Last edited by rascott on Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Krui24
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by Krui24 »

Beach wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
Krui24 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:15 pm In other words, it's all crazy expensive, paid with after-tax dollars, and if you have multiple kids, all the more so...
You can use a 529 plan now for private schools?
You can, but 529's are funded with after-tax dollars. The capital gains can be tax-free so that's some benefit, but still painful... Also if you fund for a child and start paying in kindergarten, that's only a few years of value appreciation (or decline...)
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by Watty »

Krui24 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:15 pm Hidden costs are things like auctions and fundraisers........
Add transportation to the list of additional costs to look into.

If you have multiple kids the logistics of getting them to and from school can be formidable especially if they are in different schools that start at different times, like elementary and middle school. Some high schools may not have enough student parking so getting a high school student a car may not be an option.
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life in slices
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by life in slices »

The two private schools in our town are $59K boarding/$46K day student and $68k/54K respectively

Way more than I was able/willing to pay for college for our three kids
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by alfaspider »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I live in an area with excellent public schools, but there are still a decent number of kids who go to private school. A few reasons why people may go private in an area with good public schools:

1) Desire for religious instruction
2) Personal attention (student/teacher ratios may be lower, support for learning disabilities)
3) Connections in the college admissions game (top private high school guidance counselors tend to know how to game the admissions game for private colleges). For example, they may know that (insert prestigious school) is always short squash players and that your kid learning to play squash could have a leg up if they want to attend, or that telling the school they want to major in X increases the chance of admissions.
4) Belief (justified or not) in academic superiority. A neighbor of mine insisted that her child received better writing instruction at the local expensive private high school because he could get away with procrastinating on writing assignments in college.
5) Flexibility/ability to bend policies. For example, at the public school you simply may not take your kid out of school for a week- they will often severely penalize kids (for example, enforcing no make-up policy for any exams given during the period) who leave anyways. At a private school, they may be more accommodating if you want to take the kid out during the school year because you are not just a student- you are a customer.

Personally, I still find the above mostly a waste of money (save for a few special cases), but for many of the folks who send their kids private, the tuition is simply not material to their wealth in the slightest.
Last edited by alfaspider on Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jaguar3003
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by jaguar3003 »

rage_phish wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I wouldn’t have guessed private school teachers earn less
Private School teacher salaries are incredibly paltry compared to public school teachers. In Washington state, private school teachers don't even need a certification.

I mean, it's cool and all that private schools have smaller class sizes, but who is teaching your kid and what are their qualifications?
jaguar3003
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by jaguar3003 »

alfaspider wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:48 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
but for many of the folks who send their kids private, the tuition is simply not material to their wealth in the slightest.
I guess that's where my BogleHeadedness has a hard time understanding. If public school education, generally, is equal to private school education, then spending excess $$ on it seems crazy.

I guess it's similar to people that pay oodles for actively traded funds because to them it "seems" better, even though the data may not support it.
alfaspider
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by alfaspider »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:49 pm
rage_phish wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I wouldn’t have guessed private school teachers earn less
Private School teacher salaries are incredibly paltry compared to public school teachers. In Washington state, private school teachers don't even need a certification.

I mean, it's cool and all that private schools have smaller class sizes, but who is teaching your kid and what are their qualifications?
I think you have to distinguish most expensive privates from the general pool of privates. A huge portion of private schools operate primarily to allow religious instruction, and many of them are more preoccupied with keeping such instruction accessible to members of the religious group. The teachers may be willing to accept lower salaries in order to provide religious instruction or otherwise help the religious group.

By contrast the very high end privates (the Daltons of the world) that tend to target very well heeled parents will often have teachers whose resumes look more like that of a college professor. Those types of positions almost certainly pay more than the average public.
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by alfaspider »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:54 pm
alfaspider wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:48 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
but for many of the folks who send their kids private, the tuition is simply not material to their wealth in the slightest.
I guess that's where my BogleHeadedness has a hard time understanding. If public school education, generally, is equal to private school education, then spending excess $$ on it seems crazy.

I guess it's similar to people that pay oodles for actively traded funds because to them it "seems" better, even though the data may not support it.
Like a financial advisor, a private school can make you feel important/exclusive. There's absolutely social signaling tied up with the exclusive privates. Some may also be looking for networking opportunities. In fact, if you are a financial advisor, you may very well want to send your kid to a private school where you can sell your services to other parents.
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by jaguar3003 »

alfaspider wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:56 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:49 pm
rage_phish wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I wouldn’t have guessed private school teachers earn less
Private School teacher salaries are incredibly paltry compared to public school teachers. In Washington state, private school teachers don't even need a certification.

I mean, it's cool and all that private schools have smaller class sizes, but who is teaching your kid and what are their qualifications?


By contrast the very high end privates (the Daltons of the world) that tend to target very well heeled parents will often have teachers whose resumes look more like that of a college professor. Those types of positions almost certainly pay more than the average public.
Harvard-Westlake (6th highest rated private school by Niche) pays around $80,000 in LA, which is on par with the salary schedule from the LA School District, where a teacher with 10 years of experience would earn $85,000. I browsed through the top 6 ranked private schools and found them to be equal or below to the public school(s) in the area.

Of note, a private school can pay a teachers differently (they may pay a math teacher more than an English teacher), so finding salaries is a little tough. Public school teachers, for the most part, are on the same salary schedule (a PE teacher brings in the same $$ as a science teacher).
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by 59Gibson »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:54 pm
alfaspider wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:48 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
but for many of the folks who send their kids private, the tuition is simply not material to their wealth in the slightest.
I guess that's where my BogleHeadedness has a hard time understanding. If public school education, generally, is equal to private school education, then spending excess $$ on it seems crazy.

I guess it's similar to people that pay oodles for actively traded funds because to them it "seems" better, even though the data may not support it.
+1 Sure seems weird to be spending multiple 10s of thousands for schooling/kid(elementary, middle). What I've seen is folks sending their kids to these schools live in "top notch Blue Ribbon Government School districts"w/ very high property taxes. Many of them wear the exclusive/private school as a status symbol badge, but if one can afford it- so be it. Just doesn't seem necessary in many instances.
manuvns
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by manuvns »

any private school with tution under 1k per month may not be worth it . you are better off sending them to public schools , and use the $ to buy a better house .
Thanks!
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

alfaspider wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:48 pm I live in an area with excellent public schools, but there are still a decent number of kids who go to private school. A few reasons why people may go private in an area with good public schools:
We also lived in an area with “excellent” public schools. I put excellent in quotes because I think their excellence was a variable thing; my kids fell through the cracks and had to attend a private school to fulfill their potential.

So for us, reasons differed from your list:
1. A willingness to re-evaluate students after placing them on a “track”
2. Quality of teachers
3. Diversity (ethnic, socioeconomic, etc)
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by manatee2005 »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:49 pm
rage_phish wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I wouldn’t have guessed private school teachers earn less
Private School teacher salaries are incredibly paltry compared to public school teachers. In Washington state, private school teachers don't even need a certification.

I mean, it's cool and all that private schools have smaller class sizes, but who is teaching your kid and what are their qualifications?
My son just finished his public K-12 education and let me tell you I would have rather had any random person off the street teach him than some of those public school teachers. I work from home and he had online school for most of the year and I heard the teachers bloviate. My younger son is in a private school and also had online school and his teachers sounded much more professional and competent. Also the difference between March 2020-June 2020 between public and private schools was night and day. Private school was running like a champ online 3 days after the shutdown while public school teachers decided to just run out the clock and get ready to enjoy the summer.
Last edited by manatee2005 on Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MrBobcat
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by MrBobcat »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
In a place like Seattle (my daughter teaches at one of the private K-5 schools) is the housing density has increased substantially since the public schools were built and hence your kid might not get in the public school in your district because it's full. So your choice is private and closer to home or a bus ride to a different district.
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by rascott »

Many kids in private school remained in in-person instruction this last school year, while their public school peers attended zoom classes..... and often went from good students to failing ones. Interest in private schools is at an all time high right now.
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by THY4373 »

rascott wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:53 pm Many kids in private school remained in in-person instruction this last school year, while their public school peers attended zoom classes..... and often went from good students to failing ones.
Agreed my son's private school rocked their COVID handling while the public schools around here were a lot more challenged. I was the product of a very top tier public school high school from the DC area and would have easily sent my son to public school but his mother was a product of a very challenged school system in California and insisted he go private. The first private school we sent him to was a disaster but the current one got him up to speed from that disaster. Also my son, until high school, was a pretty average student but he buckled down and got more interested in classes and his teachers noticed this and he was moved to honors and AP classes. I doubt this would have happened in public school where he was one of 35 students in a class.

I am convinced my son has received a better education as his current private school than he would in the very good public schools around here. He doesn't go there for status as I, my ex and he couldn't care less about that. Of course we only have one kid and the non-religious school he goes do costs "only" $27k. I might have a different opinion at $50k in a HCOL area.
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by HoberMallow »

Are you sure the tuition isn't published? I just looked at a few private schools in Los Angeles that I'm familiar with and they all had their tuition on their websites. For what it's worth, costs ranged from $20k for a not-so-famous elementary-only school to $43k for Harvard-Westlake (mentioned above).
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by stoptothink »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:49 pm
rage_phish wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:21 pm What is the motivation for private school? If you're moving to an affluent neighborhood, the public school in the area is likely of high quality.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christophe ... 3beb013425
I wouldn’t have guessed private school teachers earn less
Private School teacher salaries are incredibly paltry compared to public school teachers. In Washington state, private school teachers don't even need a certification.

I mean, it's cool and all that private schools have smaller class sizes, but who is teaching your kid and what are their qualifications?
I know two people who teach at private high schools in my area who don't even have a high school diploma (GED's) and IMO would not have the intellectual capacity to handle any sort of university education themselves. Granted, they aren't teaching core classes (one PE and the other "computers"). When it comes to education, if you as a parent think the environment is crucial, do your own research because the ranking on greatschools.com or a fancy website tell you nothing.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

stoptothink wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:18 pm I know two people who teach at private high schools in my area who don't even have a high school diploma (GED's) and IMO would not have the intellectual capacity to handle any sort of university education themselves. Granted, they aren't teaching core classes (one PE and the other "computers"). When it comes to education, if you as a parent think the environment is crucial, do your own research because the ranking on greatschools.com or a fancy website tell you nothing.
By way of contrast, the teachers at my kids’ East Coast private school were spectacular, many of them having had successful careers before choosing to teach. My son’s math and science mentor came from a successful career at a hedge fund (the Audi R8 in the parking lot was his), the chemistry teacher had many patents from his work at Bell Labs, the English teacher was a young Harvard graduate, and so on. Not all of the teachers were this good, but how many does a kid need?

The important distinction for us in choosing this school versus some other privates was the admissions requirement at the school. They accepted roughly 25% of applicants, and I didn’t know any families who were submitting average kids for admission. They required a high ISEE score, good recommendations, an interview, and had kids spend a day at the school to see how they fit in.

When our kids attended, the tuition was significant for our family. It became easier for us as our finances improved, but in any case, it was worth every penny. Especially for one of our kids, it was transformational.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
cshell2
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by cshell2 »

Beach wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:35 pm
Krui24 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:15 pm In other words, it's all crazy expensive, paid with after-tax dollars, and if you have multiple kids, all the more so...
You can use a 529 plan now for private schools?
You can, but it's limited to 10K/year/beneficiary and while it's allowed federally, not all states have adopted this provision. Mine (MN) has not and will claw back any state tax benefits/credits your received on the contributions if used for K-12 tuition and tax you on the gains (same with using for student loans which is now allowed federally).
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by bwalling »

jaguar3003 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:49 pm Private School teacher salaries are incredibly paltry compared to public school teachers. In Washington state, private school teachers don't even need a certification.

I mean, it's cool and all that private schools have smaller class sizes, but who is teaching your kid and what are their qualifications?
This is not a general rule by any means. The better local private schools here pay more than the public schools, and have tougher requirements around faculty experience and education. Several of them have 50% or more faculty with PhDs, and almost no faculty with only a Bachelor's.

But, some do have poor qualification standards, commonly the ones that prioritize religious aspects over other aspects.

In Florida, a public school teacher can have a degree in any subject from any institution, and needs only to pass a certification exam that any adult ought to be able to pass without prep. So, certification isn't some panacea to qualifications.
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by stoptothink »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 6:50 am
stoptothink wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:18 pm I know two people who teach at private high schools in my area who don't even have a high school diploma (GED's) and IMO would not have the intellectual capacity to handle any sort of university education themselves. Granted, they aren't teaching core classes (one PE and the other "computers"). When it comes to education, if you as a parent think the environment is crucial, do your own research because the ranking on greatschools.com or a fancy website tell you nothing.
By way of contrast, the teachers at my kids’ East Coast private school were spectacular, many of them having had successful careers before choosing to teach. My son’s math and science mentor came from a successful career at a hedge fund (the Audi R8 in the parking lot was his), the chemistry teacher had many patents from his work at Bell Labs, the English teacher was a young Harvard graduate, and so on. Not all of the teachers were this good, but how many does a kid need?

The important distinction for us in choosing this school versus some other privates was the admissions requirement at the school. They accepted roughly 25% of applicants, and I didn’t know any families who were submitting average kids for admission. They required a high ISEE score, good recommendations, an interview, and had kids spend a day at the school to see how they fit in.

When our kids attended, the tuition was significant for our family. It became easier for us as our finances improved, but in any case, it was worth every penny. Especially for one of our kids, it was transformational.
That certainly can be the case at "name" private schools, but in general private schools pay less so it is logical to expect teachers with less credentialing (doesn't mean they are necessarily worse teachers). Again, don't assume and do your own research.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

stoptothink wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:39 am That certainly can be the case at "name" private schools, but in general private schools pay less so it is logical to expect teachers with less credentialing (doesn't mean they are necessarily worse teachers). Again, don't assume and do your own research.
It was, IMO, another unexpected consequence . . .

The private school in question paid less than the nearby publics, which meant that fewer teachers sought employment there and were often financially secure. So, for example, my son’s math mentor didn’t have the traditional background and didn’t have “credentials,” but could afford to accept a job at a private (in fact, rumor has it that he donated his salary back to the school), and could have the pleasure of teaching engaged and smart kids without a lot of school politics.

I agree with your main point: don’t assume and do your own research. An expensive school isn’t necessarily better than a less expensive one, and even if it is for one student it isn’t necessarily so for another. The public schools in our old home had many success stories, just not for our kids.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
stoptothink
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by stoptothink »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:59 amI agree with your main point: don’t assume and do your own research. An expensive school isn’t necessarily better than a less expensive one, and even if it is for one student it isn’t necessarily so for another. The public schools in our old home had many success stories, just not for our kids.
My n=1 with our daughter, we won a lottery to send her to the highest ranked private school in the state beginning in the kindergarten. It was a joke, she had 3 teachers by the end of the year, none of them remotely decent. We pulled her out after kindergarten and our local public has been fantastic (for her and now my son). Every one of her teachers at the local public has been better than the best of the 3 (in a single year) she had at the private. The two other families we got to know who had their kids their pulled them out as well. I just checked, it's still the top ranked private elementary in the state.
WAROB
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by WAROB »

A quick search shows 38k for Lakeside (of Bill Gates and Paul Allen fame) and 17.5k for O’Dea. Those were the first that came to mind from growing up in the area.

Most of the Eastside public school districts are pretty highly regarded in the Bellevue and Sammamish Plateau areas etc. if you aren’t set on living directly in the city.
Soon2BXProgrammer
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by Soon2BXProgrammer »

kasamasa wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 2:53 pm Looking to buy a house in Seattle and trying to estimate how much of a value to place on a good school district. My current estimate is about 250k for private school but I don't know if that's reasonable or if there are other hidden costs to consider about private school
Our local private christian school is about $14k a year:
https://www.cascadechristian.org/editor ... __2021.pdf

not in "seattle" but in the south sound.
Earned 43 (and counting) credit hours of financial planning related education from a regionally accredited university, but I am not your advisor.
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by femmefire »

We're about to enter into K-12 grades. The number one reason that we are looking at private schools is that they offer full day schooling. If I continue to work, I have three options, nanny, private daycare that picks up kids in a bus, and private school. I like the continuity of care that the private schools offer. They are all about the same price. Smaller class size and options like STEAM, second languages, and music are all a bonus.
WorkToLive
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Re: How much does private school cost?

Post by WorkToLive »

apres_all_day wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:30 pm
WorkToLive wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:07 pm I live near Washington, DC. Non-religious schools here currently range from $15k to $50k/year.
Which non-religious privates are $15K?

A half decent Catholic high school is $20K-30K in the DC area.

I'm originally from Southern California, which is awash in affordable private schools. The place I attended for K-8 now charges around $9K for a single kid for the entire year. You can lower the costs on a per kid basis if you have more than one kid.

My daycare bill in DC is $2K/month for my toddler and that's considered CHEAP.
Butler Montessori is less than $20k, non-religious and pre-K to grade 8
https://www.butlerschool.org/tuition
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by KyleAAA »

The east side of Seattle has some of the best public school districts in the country, so if that's important to you prioritize Bellevue or Sammamish. Even with the crazy real estate prices in Bellevue, I think you'd still come out ahead vs putting 2 kids through private school. I am not convinced school districts make that much of a difference in educational outcomes.
davewi
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by davewi »

The suburban Seattle public schools are pretty darn good, so private school probably isn't needed if you live in the burbs. If you live in Seattle itself, Seattle public schools are really hit and miss. It's possible to get a good education in Seattle schools, but not a guarantee in any way. I have one in public school and one in private for this reason. Tuition at private schools range from about $10K (Catholic elementary) to $40K (high end private high school).
Monsterflockster
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by Monsterflockster »

Bogleheads is an interesting place... there are those who argue $10 charges from the dentist for pPE during a pandemic and don’t use twist ties on produce while others drop 20k or more a year for K-12 education.
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Re: How much does [Seattle area] private school cost?

Post by Immafreak »

pulled my kids out of seattle area public school and into private school this year. Of course this year was very unique due to Covid. With that in mind, some difference we found.

Private school offered:
- Smaller classes
-Teacher was much more passionate
- recess was more fun since they got to play with everyone in their class. Its less intimidating on the playground too.
-More extracurriculars
-Principle responded within a day
-fully in person and no asynchronous learning.

Con's for Private school:
-there's still fundraising
-volunteer hours required from parents
-you have to pay tuition

My kids were really happy with the private school and we decided to keep them for one more year until the Seattle public school system can figure out their issues.
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