Joke About Starting West Village High School Gets Taken Seriously

When Greenwich Village resident Aimee Bell, a Vanity Fair editor, was asked by another parent where her daughter, then in fifth grade, would be attending High School, she jokingly answered that she was starting one herself. That was two years ago, and since then the wisecrack has turned into a reality. With a little help from Bell's well-connected friends (Graydon Carter! John Leguizamo! Bob Kerrey!), Greenwich Village High, a private academy, will accept 45 freshman next year with tuition set on a sliding scale from $1,000 to $34,729. An author of a guide to Manhattan private schools tells the Times that the school will help fill the city's fancy school void: “It’s really always been slim pickings downtown. Originally, it was a commercial area with tradesmen and lofts not meant for living, but now it’s a mecca for young families.” GV High's motto? “Work hard, be kind, take risks.” (Apparently there wasn't room for "Network!")