Dear St. Francis High School Parents and Guardians:
At the February 1st Corporate Members and Board of Directors meetings, they approved the tuition and fee rate for the 2017-2018 school year. The approved tuition will be $13,187, which is an increase of $337.00 (or 2.5%) from the current year. The registration fee will NOT increase and will remain at $525, if you meet the April deadline; for each month after the April 30th deadline, the fee will increase by $75.
The Members, Directors, and I are keenly aware of the sacrifices that all families choose to make in order to commit to a Catholic college preparatory education for their sons and daughters. I expect that no family is excited about the increase; thus, I want to share some important factors for you to consider:
- For 2017-2018, tuition will increase by only 2.5%. There will be a new $50 fee for retreats and a $30 increase for the Burgundy & Gray dinner and auction tickets. These increases are consistent with the 4 prior years:
- 2016-2017 there was a 2.5% tuition increase
- 2015-2016 there was a 2.0% tuition increase
- 2014-2015 there was a 3.0% tuition increase
- 2013-2014 there was a 3.3% tuition increase
The 2017-2018 tuition and fee increase averages out to $35 a month.
- It is the consistent goal of the Corporate Members Board, Board of Directors, and the administration of the school, to keep tuition and fee increases at approximately the same annual rate of inflation. This allows each family and the school to plan/budget accordingly in 4-year cycles.
- To meet the needs of our families who make the four-year commitment to St. Francis High School, we are committing approximately $675,000 to merit-based and need-based tuition assistance for the 2017-2018 school year. This is an INCREASE of 5.6% to assist more families who are committed to the highly successful and supportive education available through St. Francis.
- Annually we manage a fiscally conservative budget, and we are mindful of the critical programs and services that are the hallmark of a St. Francis education:
o Highly qualified and caring teachers/coaches
o Average class size ratio of 20.5:1
o Monthly liturgies, extensive service project opportunities, and annual retreats
o Salesian presence with Fr. Dave and a partnership with Fr. Joseph and the Salesian parish across the street
o Ubiquitous Wi-Fi on campus and a school-managed 1-to-1 iPad program
o Advanced arts programs that includes visual arts, drama, choir, drum line, and Concert Band
o Online learning for electives and AP classes
o Competitive robotics
o Ocean Guardian School
o Partnership with Project Lead the Way for a biomedical science pathway
o Competitive and championship SCCAL and CCS athletic teams
- St. Francis High School is a community of faith that fosters excellence through the charism of St. John Bosco. We are committed to maintaining our exemplary graduation rate, college eligible and acceptance rate, and Catholic values-based education.
- The tuition charged at St. Francis is not cost-based tuition; it does not completely cover our actual cost of educating each student. The average annual difference between the tuition and fees charged versus the actual cost to educate each student is $1,000. This means that last year the Annual Fund, SFPA Burgundy & Gray Fundraiser, Bingo, financial gifts, and grant procurement raised over $200,000 to meet the “tuition gap." We will do the same this year to meet the tuition gap.
I want to reinforce our commitment to providing your children the best Catholic, Salesian college preparatory education in the country at the most affordable price possible. I also want to thank each of you for making the difference in the lives of all of our students - we are family. As we heard from Father Tho Bui at the Feast of SJB celebration, “We are intentionally counter cultural and relational…and that is why our Preventive System works so well for the young people we serve.” At our February 1st Corporate Members meeting, both Bishop Richard Garcia and our Salesian Provincial Fr. Ted Montemayor praised our presence to the young we serve through reason, religion, and loving-kindness; this presence is what our Salesian family is all about. Through this presence, we help our students nurture the values of good Christians to become impactful global citizens.
I want to remind you that my door is always open. As the head of school, I am always available. If there is a student or parent already in my office then please contact Ms. Lina Silva for an appointment at extension 222. The administrators and I are always willing to meet with you and listen. This, too, is a major difference between any other public or private school in the area. We are here to partner with you. At St. Francis, we promise to remain true to our mission and vision: St. Francis High School is committed to ensuring educational excellence in a safe and supportive learning environment.
Yours in Christ,
President and Principal
P.S. We want to thank you for fully participating in the school’s Annual Raffle. Congratulations to the winners who have been notified and the names posted on our website.
P.P.S. I want to remind you to fully participate in this year’s Annual Fund. The class competition goes through April 13, 2017 with the winning class getting free dress and lunch on April 28, 2017.