Federal News in Brief

Obamas Pick Private School, Citing ‘Fit,’ Security, Privacy

By The Associated Press — December 01, 2008 1 min read
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President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have chosen a private school for their two daughters, opting for an institution that another White House child, Chelsea Clinton, attended a decade ago.

Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, will be attending Sidwell Friends School, a private, Quaker school with a campus in northwest Washington for grades 5-12 and another in suburban Bethesda, Md., for kindergarten through 4th grade. Malia is in 5th grade and Sasha is in 2nd grade.

Sasha, left, and Malia Obama, the children of President-elect Barack Obama, now attend the University of Chicago Lab School.

“A number of great schools were considered,” said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama. “In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now.” (“Obamas Take Up Search for a School for Their Daughters,” Nov. 19, 2008.)

She said Sidwell Friends can provide the security and privacy that the girls will need as part of the new first family. Tuition is $28,442 at the lower school and $29,442 at the middle and upper schools.

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A version of this article appeared in the December 03, 2008 edition of Education Week

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