CAIS

The Impact of Your Support

Q: We already pay tuition. Why does the school ask parents for additional money every year?

A: CAIS strives to keep tuition within reach for as many families as possible. As with most independent schools, tuition covers 80-85% of the actual cost of educating children. The Annual Fund covers the difference. The 2007-2008 Annual Fund goal is $1.4 million to be raised from parents, board members, alumni, staff & faculty, friends, foundations and corporations.

Q: What does the Annual Fund pay for?

A: The Annual Fund allows CAIS to attract and retain the best faculty with competitive compensation. It pays for faculty professional development so that teachers can inspire your children. It funds new supplies and computers; arts, music and dance programs; sports and cultural events; and outdoor educational trips.

Q: Does the Annual Fund directly affect my child's education?

A: Yes. The Annual Fund allows CAIS to provide your child a unique, bilingual immersion curriculum that nurtures and educates the whole child. Our students excel academically and are top winners each year in science, math and history competitions. Our athletic teams consistently perform well. CAIS graduates enter top high schools.

Q: Instead of fundraising, why not increase tuition to cover the gap?

A: Our school is committed to socioeconomic diversity. Tuition is maintained at levels that allow the widest range of students, regardless of family finances, to obtain a CAIS education. Raising the tuition to the cover the full cost would prohibit many families from attending CAIS.

Q: Could the school cut administrative overhead to save money?

A: Even though the CAIS program is more costly to operate than a monolingual school, our administrative overhead is comparable to the overhead of other independent schools. This parity in overhead costs, despite our need for translators, curriculum development specialists and other staff necessary for our bilingual program, indicates that we are operating at an extremely efficient level of administrative staffing.

Q: Why is it important for all parents to participate in the Annual Fund?

A: When we apply for grants from various foundations, one of the first questions they ask is, “Do all your parents give?” These foundations view parent participation as an indicator of our school's success. Achieving 100% parent participation demonstrates our community's own commitment.

Q: Instead of asking parents, could CAIS ask outside funders to close the gap between tuition and actual expenditures?

A: Many outside donors make significant contributions to our school. Foundations provide over 40% of our non-parent funding—an extraordinarily high percentage of funds raised from outside of our community (as compared to 15-20% in other independent schools). However, we cannot expect to cover all operating costs through outside funding. If CAIS parents do not give, why should others?

Q: What is the average annual giving per student at other independent schools?

A: Average annual giving, as reported by the National Association of Independent Schools' (NAIS) statistical indicators, was $1,588 per student for the 2005-06 school year. In the Western states, the per student gift was $1,822. At CAIS, the per student amount raised in the Annual Fund is $1,881.

Q: What is CAIS' budget, and how do tuition and the Annual Fund help cover expenses?

A: The 2008-2009 CAIS budget is $11.6 million. Tuition revenue is $8.53 million. Auxiliary programs and other income, such as investment income and CAIS Institute, provide an additional $1.6 million. Fundraising through the Annual Fund is necessary to bridge the gap of $1.49 million.

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