It has been officially announced that Barron Trump, the president’s youngest child, will attend a preparatory school in Potomac, Maryland in September. Barron and his mother, First Lady Melania Trump will move into the White House in June, according to reports and confirmed by Mrs. Trump. The 11-year-old student will be going to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School when it opens on September 5 after the summer break.
Why that school was selected
The school was selected for several reasons. First of all, Mrs. Trump said she wanted to keep her son out of the Washington spotlight as much as possible.
Also, St. Andrew's was selected because of its diverse community and its commitment to academic excellence. The diversity and the commitment appealed to the Trumps. Therefore, St. Andrew's is the school where Barron will be for the next few years.
This is not the traditional school where the first kids go while living in the White House. In the past, children's from presidential families went to Sidwell Friends. In fact, Sasha Obama is completing her last two years there. Other than the Obamas, the Clinton, Nixon and Roosevelt children attended that prestigious Quaker school. Jimmy Carter sent his daughter, Amy, to public school in the city.
About the school
Barron will have to travel about 20 miles each way to and from the 19-acre campus.
It is estimated that in a year, there are about 580 students in preschool through 12th grade which includes 40 percent of minority students and international students. There are no more than 15 students in each class which mean there will be a teacher for every seven students.
Tuition for middle school children is $38,590. For high school students, the cost is $40,650.
There are other fees that must be paid during the year. For example, there is a $1,000 enrollment fee, and parents have to pay $90 in parent association dues.
St. Andrew's makes sure parents know that even though it is an Episcopalian school, those who attend don't have to belong to that denomination. The student body makes up only 16 percent Episcopalians, 18 percent Catholics, 23 percent with other Christian affiliations, 10 percent Jewish, and 1 percent Muslim.
Moving into the White House
Barron and his mother have been living in Trump Tower in New York apart from Donald Trump. This arrangement was so Barron could finish out the academic year at his Upper West Side private school.
Law enforcement agencies will get a little break when the family is under the same roof. It was costing the New York City police department from $127,000 to $145,000 a day to protect the wife and son of the president.
