Hawaii private schools raising tuition fees
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Advertiser Staff
Tuition at major private schools in Hawai'i is rising again, with officials attributing most of the increases to competitive faculty salaries and the rising cost of facility maintenance.
This month, several private schools began announcing at least a 6 percent hike in tuition for 2008-09, which means $700 or more extra, compared to this year.
Denise Caster, a Kane'ohe mother with two children at Le Jardin Academy and one child at Punahou School, said the increases are to be expected.
"I understand the need for the increases, but I think it makes parents take a stronger look at a school," said Caster.
"It's not a surprise by any stretch. But the amount that Le Jardin has increased this year is a little bit alarming."
Le Jardin headmaster Adrian Allan said part of the increase is due to competitive teacher salaries and part is for continued expansion of the school.
Over the past two years, the school has completed 12 new classrooms equipped with up-to-date audio and visual technology. In October, 10 more classrooms, two more science labs and a gymnasium are expected to be finished.
Le Jardin tuition will be:
Private schools account for about 18 percent of the total school enrollment in Hawai'i, with an estimated 39,555 students attending private schools and 172,364 attending public schools, according to the state Department of Education and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.
Nationally, the proportion of students enrolled in private schools was 11.6 percent in 2005.
For several years, private school tuition has been steadily increasing nationally, according to the National Association of Independent Schools. Over the past decade, the trend has been for private school tuition increases to be tied to inflation, according to the NAIS.
"A lot of it (the rise in school tuition) is faculty and staff salaries, electricity costs, technology and facility upkeep. Every year it is those expenses that continue to go up," said Cathy Lee Chong, communications director for 'Iolani School.
STILL BELOW COST
Chong pointed out that the cost of educating each student is far more than what parents are charged for tuition.
For 'Iolani, the actual cost is estimated at $22,300 per student, she said.
"The difference between tuition and the actual cost is made up by our endowment proceeds, donations and auxiliary support," Chong said.
Laurel Bowers Husain, director of communication at Punahou School, said, "The two big drivers are a commitment to people and technology."
In addition to pay raises, she said, the school is committed to providing professional development for its teachers so they remain competitive.
"I am sure these continuing increases are a strain for families, and we certainly strive to manage these increases as much as we can," she said.
Like most schools, Punahou attempts to increase its financial aid budget along with tuition, she said.
SALARIES CITED
Tuition at Mid-Pacific Institute is expected to rise by $1,000 to a total of $16,000, according to a letter sent to Mid-Pac parents on Feb. 15.
Mid-Pac's president, Joe Rice, told parents in the letter that tuition increases are due mostly to a rise in teacher salaries.
"We think you'll agree that our teachers are our most valuable resources. We are committed to providing our teachers with competitive salaries, so we don't risk losing them to better paying positions at other schools," Rice said.
Lori Carlos, director of admission at Maryknoll School, said the school attempts to keep its financial aid support proportional to any increase in tuition.
About 18 percent of students at Maryknoll receive tuition assistance, she said.
Elementary-level tuition at Maryknoll is expected to increase by 6.8 percent to $10,900. Middle school tuition will increase by 7.4 percent to $11,600. And high school tuition has been set at $12,200, a 6 percent increase.
"Beyond supporting our academic and extracurricular programs, it would be keeping up with very competitive salaries to attract and retain our superior faculty," Carlos said.
Tuition information was not immediately available for Damien Memorial School or St. Louis School.
Damien's board of directors is expected to meet on Feb. 29, and finalize tuition at that time, said school spokesman Pat Bigold.
St. Louis is likely to release its tuition information by the end of next week, said spokeswoman Jody Yoshida.
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