Jean Reno is the father of six children. Two of them are from his current marriage to Zofia Borucka: Cielo, born in 2009, and Dean, born in 2011. Earlier this month, our colleagues at Le Figaro reported that the two teenagers are “enrolled at the French high school in New York”. Yes, the family splits their time between the United States and Les Baux-de-Provence, a charming village in the South of France where the actor owns a house and at one point played a specific role.
While the sons of the unforgettable Godefroy de Montmirail grow up far from France (one of them is going to study in Japan, where Jean Reno is launching a solo world tour), they receive a top-notch French education. However, excellence comes with a price tag. As highlighted in a recent investigation by Libération, the Lycée Français de New York (LFNY) is known to be one of the most prestigious French educational institutions abroad. To enroll their children, parents must shell out a hefty €43,600 per year, not including additional costs like lunch or administrative fees.
At this price, it’s no surprise to see children from the global elite attending the school, including showbiz personalities and political figures. Even before Cielo and Dean Reno, the bilingual institution welcomed Lourdes and Rocco, Madonna’s children. In the political sphere, former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin also spent his formative years there in the 60s and 70s until he earned his diploma.
To justify such a bill, the New York school provides an exceptional learning environment from kindergarten to high school. The curriculum combines French rigor with the comprehensive approach of American private schools. In addition to incorporating STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) at all levels, students can enhance their language skills with up to four languages (Mandarin, Spanish, German, Italian) taught by native speakers.
The students’ daily lives are particularly rich at LFNY. The school emphasizes cultivating artistic talents with dance, theater, music, and visual arts classes integrated into the curriculum. After school activities are abundant with over 60 student clubs, 43 sports teams, a daycare service, homework assistance program, and dedicated college counseling to shape tomorrow’s elite and foster a sense of community.
[A highly selective school that has faced criticism (Context)]
This highly coveted microcosm has generated controversy. The school’s extreme selectivity has sparked debates. In 2012, Julien Balkany, an independent candidate representing the French abroad in North America, criticized the system. He denounced the fact that children of American celebrities dominate the school’s admissions at the expense of expatriate families, accusing them of “usurping the place of little French kids.”
These tensions arose due to the sheer competition for admissions, with only twelve spots available in the preschool section but over 250 applications. Balkany promised to address this issue if elected so that the “star kids” wouldn’t take precedence over French nationals. His stance received backlash from the school’s alumni association, with the then-president Roger Liwer dismissing the critique, stating that the presence of “children of” was not a new phenomenon at the institution.
Regardless, with its state-of-the-art facilities and extensive network, LFNY continues to attract families worldwide, including Jean Reno’s. It’s worth mentioning that Jean Reno has also made headlines with the recent release of his new novel, “L’Evasion.”
