Here’s a story that a lot of parents are going to relate to. First lady Melania Trump rushed home Sunday night with son Barron in tow so that he would be ready to return to school on Monday, only to discover that school was not in session that day.
The Trump family stayed in the White House together Friday and Saturday night after the inaugural festivities, but 10-year-old Barron returned with his mom to the family’s home at Trump Tower in New York City so Melania could get him back to classes at the $45,000 per year Columbia Preparatory and Grammar School in uptown Manhattan first thing Monday morning.
“She did just that,” TMZ reported, “only to find out the school is closed until Wednesday for some teacher conferences.”
TMZ spoke with several other parents whose kids attend the school who said “they too were unaware the school was closed.”
Can ya’ll sympathize with this universal mama faux pas? I know I’ve felt that sinking feeling pulling up to the school and realizing there were no cars in the parking lot (or getting halfway to school when my son remembered to tell me it was a teacher in-service day). You’d think the Trumps would have schedulers and assistants to help them keep their calendars straight, but maybe this uber-rich family has to deal with some of the same struggles the rest of us do.
When school does resume on Wednesday, Barron, of course, won’t be taking the school bus or public transportation. He and Melania will be escorted in a heavily guarded motorcade with precautions taken to avoid traffic tie-ups along the route.
Our law enforcement sources tell us it won’t be that bad. We’re told the plan is to block off streets in a rolling pattern — for just a few minutes — to allow the First Lady’s convoy to move quickly. NYPD will assist the Secret Service by blocking streets and re-opening them as soon as Melania’s ride passes.
Bottom line for NYers: No massive street closures all at once, and no gridlock. Also, we’re told the route will change regularly for security purposes.
Some parents who have children enrolled in the prestigious private school have expressed concerns about their children attending with the first son.
“Some parents are freaking out and worked up about security and what the school is going to do,” a school board member told Vanity Fair, and another said she fears “some type of Mexican multicar street abduction.”
The Trumps announced their decision after the election that Barron and Melania would remain in New York so Barron could complete his school year at Columbia.
“At that age, it’s hard to explain to them,” Melania told Us Weekly about Barron being reluctant to switch schools. “I tell him: Take it day by day, enjoy your life, live your meaningful life as I like to do. … Of course, at that age, every child would worry, especially if they love school, if they love friends, they don’t want to lose that. Everything is a new opportunity, and it brings new friends and a new school. You never know, you never know what happens. Enjoy it day by day, live your life and don’t stress yourself.”
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