The Shifting School Equation
There wasn’t room to discuss it yesterday, but we suspect the public/private school issue is on a number of people’s minds. Over the weekend, The Times ran an article about the number of people who bought their apartments in recent years with the assumption that they would send their kids to private school. Now that…
There wasn’t room to discuss it yesterday, but we suspect the public/private school issue is on a number of people’s minds. Over the weekend, The Times ran an article about the number of people who bought their apartments in recent years with the assumption that they would send their kids to private school. Now that the economic downturn has made that a more difficult proposition, they are left to confront the limitations of their own school district. In some cases, parents are even considering renting a cheap apartment within a good school district just to get access—after all, it would be cheaper than the $30,000+ tuition in Manhattan. (It’s more like $25,000 here in Brooklyn.) Question for the renters and those in the market to buy in Brooklyn: Has the school issue shifted your real estate plans since the downturn began?
The Sudden Charm of Public School [NY Times]
Photo by Steve and Sara
The Pre-K situation is different. At PS 107, which they refer to in the article, they have 18 pre-K slots, or one classroom available. Compare that to about 4 classrooms for K. (Though currently more kids than ever are applying for K, it’s true.)
or here’s an idea.. send your kids to the “iffy so so schools” and work your tail off to make it a better school. isnt that how a lot of supposedly good schools in brooklyn now became that way? parental involvement, and lots of it?
there’s really no bad schools, only bad parenting.
*rob*
Isn’t Boys & Girls High School in Bed Stuy supposed to be a really good school??
Since we’re speaking about schools anyway, I just saw this article on the Daily News website about how Slope PreK’s are also busting at the seams. They’ve cited the number of applicants per PreK spot for each PS school. I can’t imagine it getting better a year later for K. With this new influx of ex-private students, where PS schools will be then?
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/04/07/2009-04-07_park_slopes_prek_angst_growing.html
Wow… $25,000 a year? Sounds like it would be worth moving somewhere with a crappier job and better schools…
*violins*
no sypmathy for them. AT all. especially if you read the article and read some of their self important self righteous snobby entitled quotes. BARF-O-RAMA!
*rob*
I have no kids yet but if I did I would never buy in an area where my kids would not have the option of going to the public schools. What is going to happen to the guy who has 2 kids and just lost his job and lives in a bad school district? Will he be able to pay 50 thousand a year for 12 years? Will he keep draining his parents accounts or will they say enough! Only buy in good school districts
I am compelled to repost what I contributed to the forum post on this topic on Sunday:
This article made my stomach turn. Wealthy folks trading private school for the best public schools is noteworthy only in that it underscores the continued educational inequity that exists in this country and this city.
Recession woes? Rich people just move to the most expensive neighborhoods in order to benefit from a strong public school. Poor kids are forced stay in their crappy local schools, since private was never an option, and moving to the UES isn’t an option, either.
It seems most of the people in the article still have their jobs – so the only thing that’s changed is they bought way more apartment than they can really afford, and since it’s not appreciating they can’t use it as a piggy-bank to pay school tuition.
Sorry, not much sympathy.