Trump broke tradition by not sending Barron to school attended by children of Obama, Clinton and Nixon
After President Donald Trump said during a recent coronavirus press briefing that he wanted his son Barron to go back to school, despite closures prompted across the nation due to the ongoing pandemic, people began getting curious as to what school the 14-year-old attended.
"I have a young boy who goes to school, I'd like to see him go to school, as good as home is, it's very nice but we'd like to see him go to school," the president said in a presser at the White House on April 17.
Trust Trump not to take the route previously frequented by many of his predecessors in the past and he does not disappoint.
As it turns out, Barron goes to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, about a half-hour drive from the White House, breaking a tradition set up by presidents over the last 35 years where their children, who were under 18, famously attended Sidwell Friends School, a Quaker school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washinton D.C.
After the teen became the first-ever presidential child to attend this school, his mother, Melania, raved about the choice of institution in May 2017. “We are very excited for our son to attend St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. It is known for its diverse community and commitment to academic excellence. The mission of St. Andrew's is ‘to know and inspire each child in an inclusive community dedicated to exceptional teaching, learning, and service,’ all of which appealed to our family. We look forward to the coming school years at St. Andrew’s," she said in a statement, Express reported.
It was reported at the time that the White House wanted to wait to make the revelation about Barron's school until the summer of that year over the concern that St. Andrew's might experience protests outside the school mid-session. However, when the same concern was voiced by parents of children who already went to the institute as rumors of Barron's admission in Autumn grew stronger, the school was forced to address the matter in a letter to the community and hence, it made no sense to delay Melania's statement.
St Andrew’s Episcopal School is a coeducational college-preparatory independent school for preschool through to twelfth grade. It was founded in 1978 and as of last year, had 645 students.
Sidwell Friends has been the popular pick for the Obamas, the Clintons, Nixons, and Roosevelts when it came to their children's education. It was founded in 1883 by Thomas W. Sidwell, it offers classes from pre-kindergarten to high school.
After being persuaded by Hilary Clinton, who was Secretary of State at the time, former President Barack Obama enrolled his daughters, Malia and Sasha, at Sidwell Friends in 2009, with Malia graduating in 2016 and Sasha in 2019. Shortly before Obama's second term came to an end in 2017, he said in several interviews that his family was planning on staying back in Washington after he left office so that Sasha could finish her high school at the school.
Before him, former President Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea also went to Sidwell Friends. Bill even gave the commencement speech the year she graduated. Even ex-President Richard Nixon chose Sidwell Friends for his daughters, Tricia and Julie.
Most of the presidents whose children never enrolled in the above-mentioned school came to office when their children had already graduated from high school or had become adults. Such was the case for former presidents George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.
Incidentally, Jimmy Carter was the only president in history whose daughter Amy attended a Washington D.C. public school ‒ the Stevens Elementary School and the Rose Hardy Middle School. And, ex-President Gerald Ford’s daughter, Susan, went to Holton-Arms School in Bethesda.