Dear St. Anne's Families:
This year, of course, has been a year unlike any other for all of us here at St. Anne's. Our teachers have been nothing short of heroic in their commitment and dedication to our students and we continue to be grateful for your, our families, support and trust in us to know, love, challenge and inspire your child(ren). I am extremely proud of our students, faculty, staff, and you, for the grace, flexibility, and understanding you have modeled during this challenging time. In many ways, this unprecedented time brought us even closer together as a community and, for that, I will always be thankful.
In preparation for the 2021-2022 school year, I am pleased to announce that your enrollment contract as well as additional pertinent information for the upcoming year, is forthcoming by way of an email that you will receive shortly. As mentioned by Valerie White in a Heron update earlier this month, we have moved our enrollment process online for the coming year and I'm confident you will find this process to be more efficient and easy to navigate.
Earlier this year, the Board established a Tuition Task Force, comprised of parents, trustees and members of the St. Anne's Leadership Team, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of tuition prices and rates of increase at other private and independent schools both locally and across the region. The two-pronged goal was to keep tuition increases in line with the industry standard for independent schools while at the same time staying focused on the long-term financial sustainability and future of St. Anne's. At the last Board Meeting, the Trustees met and approved our tuition rates for the 2021-2022 school year; you can view the new tuition rates by clicking here.
Capital improvements in ventilation, the build out of safe and socially-distanced classrooms (both inside and out), enhanced cleaning protocols, and additional staff were all necessary to meet the new needs of our pandemic-era organization. Most importantly, competitively compensating and investing in our faculty and staff continues to be our top priority as they are the heart of our school. In addition, the school has ambitious plans to continue to grow our commitment to the outdoor curriculum and engage our students in creative problem solving and innovative learning opportunities.
Critical to our decision-making regarding tuition is St. Anne's foundational mission and values. Everything we do, we do to support students. Our steadfast goal will always be to offer a one-of-a-kind educational experience for your child(ren) and we are grateful that you recognize the investment you are making in your child will pay lifelong dividends.
We look forward to a robust end to the 2020-2021 school year and are here for you and your child(ren) in any way that we can. We have been blessed to see an increased demand at many grade levels and as such we are anticipating having waitlists next year. In order to secure your child's spot, your digitally signed contract and enrollment deposit must be received by April 1, 2021. If you have applied for our flexible tuition assistance program, you will receive notification of your award following our return from spring break. If you have not yet applied but would like to do so, you can access the FAST application here. If you have any questions or need assistance with the re-enrollment process or flexible tuition application, please feel free to reach out to Valerie White at vwhite@stannesde.org.
As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Here's to another great year together, Barry
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