July 22, 2020
Dear Alemany Families,
As we look to the 2020 – 2021 academic year, we have received questions from our parent community regarding our annual tuition rate. We have been in close consultation with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on this topic and we have additionally conducted an assessment of our cost structure for the coming year.
As we examined the issue, it is clear that our cost base will not be reduced per capita, and thus we are compelled to maintain our tuition rate and financial aid awards for the 2020-2021 school year. Several factors contributed to this evaluation.
The cost to the school to educate each student is greater than the full cost of tuition at Bishop Alemany High School. This ratio has always been offset by the school’s development and fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, the current economic conditions of our local and national community have had a significant impact on Bishop Alemany’s Annual Fund and other philanthropic sources. Thus, the school has more limited resources to bridge the gap between the price of tuition and the actual cost of educating each student.
The school has increased costs for technology infrastructure that have been added to the annual budget. Bishop Alemany will be offering a fully synchronous educational platform both in our Distance Learning model, as well as in the In-Person Hybrid model when we return to campus. Thus, the school is creating the capacity to live stream all classes, adding software and application pieces that will allow for greater interactions with students, and investing in additional professional development for faculty and staff.
The school has incurred budget increases in facility and equipment enhancements to ensure that students return to a highly sanitized and safe environment. The school’s budget for sanitation/safety products and equipment has doubled.
Clubs and extracurricular activities will continue to be available to students both in a virtual setting during our Distance Learning period and onsite during our In-Person Hybrid period. The CIF has pushed athletic seasons to the second half of the year, but no season has been cancelled. Accordingly, the school will continue to carry its financial obligations for athletic programming.
During the period of Distance Learning there will be some cost reductions, largely related to utility usage and cleaning services, but those cost savings will be smaller than the budget additions mentioned above. The majority of costs related to maintaining the physical campus of the school will remain in place during our Distance Learning period in order to ensure that the students return to a functional and safe facility.
Thank you for your understanding as we work together to offer a rigorous and engaging program for our deserving students.
Sincerely,
William C. Hambleton, Ed.D.
President
Raphael Domingo
Principal