What is Fair Share?
Unique to St. John School, Fair Share is a tuition program that allows St. John School to be one of the most accessible schools for Catholic families in Seattle. The Fair Share philosophy applies to all families at St. John School. Parish families determine the maximum amount they can honestly afford to pay toward the cost to educate their child(ren). Out-of-parish families are asked to pay the cost to educate their child(ren). All families are asked to support the school to the best of their ability through volunteerism and participation in school endeavors, such as Jog-a-thon, the Auction and the Annual Fund. The Fair Share philosophy is inherent to our Mission of creating an inclusive community.
How Does Fair Share Work?
Each year the Principal and School Commission present the school budget for the coming year. These figures are used to determine the cost to educate each student by dividing total expenses by anticipated enrollment. Out-of-parish families pay the full cost to educate – this is their Fair Share. Families registered and active in the parish are asked to strive to meet the suggested parish tuition and, prayerfully considering resources, come to a determination of the maximum they can afford to pay towards the cost of their child(ren)’s education. Each family, in-parish or out-of-parish, is expected to commit to the health and vitality of the school.
Parish Tuition and Cost to Educate
The Cost to Educate reflects what St. John spends to educate one student for one year. The number is arrived at by dividing the school budget by the number of students expected for the coming year. The Cost to Educate is the same for each child regardless of parish membership. The Suggested Parish Tuition number reflects the fact that parish families are expected to support the parish through their weekly tithing. The school is the parish’s largest mission, and the parish supports the school through in-kind contributions, such as insurance, facilities, utilities, etc.
The difference between what families pay toward tuition and the cost to run the school is made up through fundraising (Auction, Jog-a-thon, Endowment, etc.) and donations (annual fund, parish tithing, bequests and corporate matching gifts). Each year, St. John School raises approximately $600,000 to bridge this gap. Any amount pledged over the Suggested Parish Tuition (for parish members) or Cost to Educate (for out-of-parish members) is considered a donation to the school’s annual fund. With every member of the community giving to the best of their ability, St. John School remains accessible to all.
