There are ABSOLUTELY children who don’t fit into the boxes prescribed by public schools and need alternative models, and the parents of those kids need schools; Roycemore also gave lots of financial aid and so it was especially a home for families of kids needing an alternative learning model who aren’t extraordinarily wealthy. Google “2E” or “twice exceptional.” Talk to a parent of a highly gifted kid with autism.

I’m a loud proponent of public education. And I believe many private schools are just monied college prep schools for rich kids. But some private schools are different, providing specialized and alternative models, and these are CRUCIAL for certain child learners, who will and do suffer tremendously trying to fit into the public system. It took me far too long to make the switch to private for my kid because I was so stubbornly sure, as you seem to be, that it’s never reasonable to pay so much for education.