Dear Parents,
Incredibly enough, as this calendar year winds down and we get ready to light the first candle of Chanukah tonight, we at the school are winding up for another great school year starting September 2012. The KSA Board of Trustees met last week and, after careful consideration of the financial state of affairs of the school and the community, we have set the new tuition and reaffirmed related policies for 2012-13.
GIVE OR GET - GONE
In line with our decision this past year to have more clarity around the historically required $613 "Give or Get" fee, the fee was added to each family's account for 2011-12. For the 2012-13 school year, instead of listing it as a separate item, we will be incorporating the fee directly into each student's tuition.
TUITION INCREASE
After careful consideration and deliberation, we have also increased the tuition for 2012-13 by 5% for two critical reasons: (1) to provide for a modest increase in teacher salaries, the first such increase in 5 years, and (2) to come closer to covering the actual cost of educating our children. Please be aware that this increase is at the midpoint among reported planned increases in other Jewish Day Schools in the Greater Boston region. Overall, we continue to be an incredible value compared to our peers.
2012-13 TUITION
The new tuition for KSA for the coming year, 2012-13, incorporating "Give or Get" and the 5% tuition increase, will be:
Gan Aleph: $14,040
K-5: $21,385
6-8: $23,010
FINANCIAL AID PROCESS
At KSA, we will continue to work as diligently as possible to carry out our school's founding philosophy to allow any child to receive a Jewish Day School education at our incredible school. With that in mind, in our role as Trustees, we must also take steps to safeguard and ensure the school's survival for this and future generations. To further both of these important goals, we want to clarify our financial aid process and policies. Our goal in this communication is to be transparent, consistent, and to adhere to a defined budget of support through which KSA can provide financial aid to those who need it, and maintain the financial security of the school. Please note the following principles of our program.
Financial Aid at KSA is:
· Available to assist families needing help to afford the excellent Jewish and secular education available at our school.
· A fair and equitable process vetted through an outside third party evaluation company (step 1) and through a non-parent committee (step 2).
· Dependent upon families prioritizing the value of a KSA education over certain other discretionary household expenditures.
· Reliant upon deadlines being met. Applications to FAST (our third party evaluation company) are due no later than 4 weeks from today, January 17, 2012. Priority in allocating assistance from the budgeted pool is given to those who apply on time and send their 2010 tax returns to FAST by the January 17, 2012 deadline.
· Awarded each year based on the current ability of the student's parents (and/or other family members) to pay tuition and of the school to provide assistance. Current awards cannot be reserved or expected to be based on past years' awards.
· Awards are limited to a maximum of 50% of tuition according to policies set forth by the Board of Trustees. This criterion is the result of careful consideration by the Trustees as important to uphold and balance the financial well-being of both our school's families and our school. Extenuating circumstances will continue to be taken into account to the extent possible.
TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS
Private Conversations
In order to ensure that all questions can be asked and answered, members of the KSA administration stand ready to address your questions in private. Please email Director of Finance Russ Lavoie at rlavoie@ksa-ne.org or Sandy Spector, Business Manager at sspector@ksa-ne.org with any personal questions.
Public Forums
We are also pleased to announce parlor meetings where more open discussion can take place. Parents are encouraged to attend and ask questions of members of the KSA administration as well as members of the Board of Trustees. These meetings will be scheduled and announced within coming days.
Please look in your child's backpack tomorrow afternoon for the hard copies of this letter, Enrollment Contracts, Financial Aid and Tuition Refund Insurance information, and if you were on FACTS this year, your FACTS Preference Letter.
In closing, let me acknowledge what an incredible financial commitment we all make to send our children to a school with the ability to teach every one of them. We see KSA for the jewel that it is in our community -- a place of learning with an extraordinary faculty led by an outstanding team of Assistant Heads of School, and a wonderful Head of School at the helm.
Happy Chanukah, Chag urim sameach,
Michael Agus
President, and on behalf of, the entire KSA Board of Trustees
