Private schools in D.C. region losing students

Private schools across the Washington, D.C., region have begun to feel the effects of the nation's economic slumber, as some families seek more financial aid to help with tuition bills and others simply opt out of paying for an education. Independent and parochial schools in the seven Maryland counties closest to Washington lost almost 8,000 students between 2005 and 2007, a 7 percent drop. The trend is expected to continue this fall. The Newport School, an esteemed Montgomery County campus, is shutting down for lack of students after 78 years in operation. The Archdiocese of Washington will offer an unprecedented $2 million in need-based aid this year.