The head of two private schools in New York City says he won't take credit cards, but will now accept Bitcoin and two other cryptocurrencies for tuition payments.

"We looked at the pros and cons of accepting it and decided that now is probably a good time because it's starting to enter the mainstream," said Marco Ciocca, co-founder and chairman of the Montessori Schools in Flatiron and Soho.  "It happens to be that we’re the first pre-kindergarten school to accept it as a form of payment."

The schools have some 300 students - Around ten parents have taken advantage of this option since it was first made available a year ago.  Tuition is US$31,000, or 12.3 Bitcoins at the current price.  The value of Bitcoins has slyrocketed since the first of the year, but Mr. Ciocca isn't out to profit that way, he insists that the cryptos are converted to US shortly after payment.

Ciocca says that at first, some parents were put off by the school's decision because of "the perception that Bitcoin may have been gained through illicit activities or that it represents some kind of underworld, dark web". 

"It's just really another payment option," he says.  "If you don't want to use it then by all means pay with a check - no harm, no foul."