Here’s one more sign that Seattle’s economy is booming: A private school here has organized what it says is the city’s first ever boarding school educational fair on Monday night, with local boarding schools as well as ones from across the country taking part.
The boarding school fair is being organized by Hamlin Robinson School in Seattle, a private school for first through eighth grades that specializes in helping kids with dyslexia or who struggle in traditional classrooms.
Joan Beauregard, head of school for Hamlin Robinson, said they organized the fair as a way to help families understand their options for high school. She said that she has seen increased interest in boarding schools recently.
“With the economy in Seattle being as strong as it is, there are people who have the ability financially to send their students to schools such as these,” Beauregard said.
Boarding school tuition can cost more than $50,000 a year, though Beauregard stressed that schools do offer financial aid, so it’s not something just for wealthy families.
Local boarding schools taking part in the fair include Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma and the Northwest School in Seattle. But the tradition of boarding schools is deep in New England, and some of those schools will present at the fair as well, including Milton Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School.
Naomi Levine is director of admission at Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts.
“This is the first time where we’ve actually had the opportunity to do a fair that would bring in students who may not have been familiar with Northfield Mount Hermon in particular but are interested in boarding school,” Levine said.
Levine said people who grew up on the East Coast and went to boarding school but now live in Seattle may be interested in that same kind of experience for their kids.