New Kindergarten in Chicago to cost $32,000 per year

[AngryAmish]

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130917/downtown/gems-world-academys-new-downtown-school-will-be-among-priciest-city


"THE LOOP — Mayor Rahm Emanuel loves to frame Chicago as "a world-class city" with international appeal — and construction on the first U.S. GEMS World Academy set to open Downtown next year suggests that he's not the only one.

The GEMS World Academy program operates private schools in China, Egypt, India, Kenya and beyond, with sites opening this year in Egypt, Uganda, Switzerland and United Arab Emirates.

In the fall of next year, it will open an elementary school currently under construction at 350 E. South Water St., just east of Aqua Tower. The following September, in 2015, it will open a junior high school and high school building around the corner at Lower Wacker Drive, ultimately enrolling more than 2,000 students in the K-12 program by the end of a planned four-year buildout.

The international education promised at GEMS comes at a world-class price: Kindergarten tuition is $32,000 a year, and a fifth-grader at the school opening in fall 2014 would pay $37,000, though first-year families get a 10 percent discount. By comparison, yearly tuition for a fifth-grader at Latin School of Chicago is $29,985, $27,210 at Francis W. Parker School and $25,296 at University of Chicago Laboratory Schools."

OK, this is just stupid. It makes me feel cheap sending my kid to public school.

on edit: my three years of law school were less than $15,000

[enlightenment]

1. It's not stupid. It's insane.

When education becomes a privilege rather than a right, we can kiss what's left of our republic goodbye.

[frazzled]

2. Private schools are insanely expensive (everywhere)

New York, Boston, San Francisco ... these "elite" schools are, well, for the elite (and a few scholarship students). But they're not necessarily better. It's always been that way, and will always be that way. It's just that prices of everything seem insane now.

I just say: a fool and his money are soon parted. (For the most part. I'm sure if I had a kid, I'd like for them to attend the Lab School; though not Latin School or Francis Parker). I feel so lucky that my kids were able to attend good urban public schools.

[AngryAmish]

7. I always wanted my kids to attend Dorothy Parker School

Recess would be a bit more racy...

[frazzled]

9. Recess with cocktails and wisecracks!

Sounds good to me. Where do I sign up?

[surrealAmerican]

3. So long as they're not getting taxpayer subsidies ...

... I don't see the problem. The very wealthy will always have a desire to send their children to these sorts of schools.

[aikoaiko]

4. 30K sounds about right for a good private school in a city like Chicago.

In some ways its cheap.

The Browning School in NYC is 40K for tuition. Exeter in NH is 35K.

[liberal_at_heart]

5. so instead of investing in public education Emanuel wants to make a profit off of private schools.

What happens in Chicago will happen to the rest of us. This is the future of our public education system. The promise that every child in America has a right and an obligation to get a public education is broken. How long until they repeal the law that states that every child in America must attend school? How long until it is acceptable that some kids just don't go to school at all?

[frazzled]

6. Emanuel has nothing to do with a private school deciding to build and open in Chicago

This has nothing to do with the city. It's a private school. Jeebus.

[SoCalDem]

8. !%ers cannot have their precious issue rubbing shoulders with the unwashed masses

Anyone who spends that for kindergarten, has rocks in their head