"Decent" school means full of kids who come from stable homes with parents who have stable, median+ incomes. Private schools in cities can accomplish this by charging $20k+ per year in tuition, and people who can't afford private schools can opt to live in suburban school districts where there are mostly homes therefore it's auto-selected mostly for kids whose parents are able to own homes.

> Private schools in cities can accomplish this by charging $20k+ per year in tuition

Why? What are the actual expenses that make it cost more than $1000 per month per a child?

It’s to keep out the kids whose parents can’t afford the tuition. $20k/year/student is on the cheap end in the richer areas too.

I believe $500/month would be enough. My parents had never been earning more than this for example (but this was not in the US).