We're in MA where there is no state mandate for gifted programs or schools. My eg/pg son has been in two private gifted schools. One of them cost $12K; the other one costs $16K.
I've found that the vast majority of students who have attended these private gifted schools are definitely NOT wealthy. In fact, most parents struggle to pay the tuition or receive a partial reduction (1/3 off). Many parents are teachers, librarians, computer programmers, lawyers, shopkeepers, or work a couple of jobs to pay the tuition and other bills. I only saw one or two parents driving a newer Porsche; most parents had old, beat up cars. One parent told me she drove a school bus and cleaned when her son attended one of the private gifted schools! In our situation, my parents have helped us pay the tuition.
Usually parents end up sending their kids to these private gifted schools because their children are gifted and/or have attentional issues and/or have struggled in the public schools. The parents knew the public schools in MA wouldn't accommodate their kids. This is one of the reasons why we decided to place our son in the private gifted school.
Saying this, these private gifted schools (I think most private gifted schools) are aimed at MG/HG kids and not long-term solutions for the EG/PG kid, but this may vary depending on the school and situation.
