Private schools still pricey compared to high-fee public options

By Leah Fabel
Examiner Staff Writer 8/21/08

Students arrive to school for the first day at Arcola Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland on Monday, August 8, 2007. Arcola opened today with a brand new building. Greg Whitesell/Examiner WASHINGTON – When parents are stuck with several hundred dollars in fees to send their children to public schools, some wonder if private schools can be much more of a financial hit. But a survey of Catholic and independent schools indicate that a high-quality public school education is still a steal.

In the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., which includes suburban Maryland, elementary school tuition ranges from $3,800 to $6,500, according to officials. The Diocese of Arlington shared similar figures, with elementary schools ranging from $3,190 to $6,800 for the 2007-08 school year.

“The key component is always the faith component,” said Karen Ristau, president of the D.C.-based National Catholic Educational Association, adding Catholic schools have “never intended to be elite,” but have always focused on serving all interested students.

Independent schools in the mid-Atlantic region ranged from an average first-grade tuition of $15,148 to an average 12th-grade tuition of $19,863, according to data from D.C.-based National Association of Independent Schools.

Many of them, however, offer full-day childcare, which in the Washington region can cost more than $1,000 per month, said association spokeswoman Myra McGovern.

“School tuition is not much more than that,” McGovern said.

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