[berettafan]

are her 'neighborhood' friends going to be bad news as she grows up or is it just the kids she'll be exposed to in public school in your area? this would be a consideration as well.

DAE i don't know what the schools in HD's area are like but private schooling is a VERY public display of financial ability (regardless of intent) and pulling kids out of a private school is, in the same way, a VERY public way of tightening one's belt. Happening all over the place now as people lose their butts and strangely enough private school seems to be the last thing (for the folks i know about in my area) they cling to because, and this has been stated clearly by more than one person in such a spot, all their 'friends' will know they have a $$ problem.

For the truly rich $17k/yr is walking around money. But for the working upper/upper middle class it's enough to give pause, even if it is 'doable'. I suggest for all but the truly rich $17k/yr for elementary school should not even be on the radar.

If I were a kept man and my wife said 'hey it's convenient for me to live here and i wanna do it'then i'd say 'you da boss' but were I the earner in the family i'd say 'i have a philosophical problem with paying somebody $17k/yr for an elementary education and we're moving to a better school district.'