<p>There is a long and informative article on the St. Paul's School website about similar issues discussed at a recent Trustee meeting. Maybe someone can post a link, but you can find it at SPS.edu, under News and Events it is the top item. The article says overall budget will be down about 5%, but financial aid budget up 7%. Most salaries are not going up and the Rector (headmaster) is taking a pay cut.</p>
<p>Financial aid budget up 7% @ St. Paul's. I presume this is to help keep the FP students currently at the school who wouldn't be able to return next year without FA?</p>
<p>St</a>. Paul's School ~ News Portal</p>
<p>
[quote]
The Board agreed that maintaining a strong financial aid program is vital in keeping academic excellence at the highest level, as it keeps the School’s doors open to the widest range of candidates for admission, no matter their families’ financial background. When the Trustees meet in May to vote on the final FY10 budget, they anticipate approving an increase in financial aid to $6.8 million, an increase of 7 percent.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I wouldn't assume that it's only supplemental FA for previously FP students. It sounds to me as if the Trustees recognize that the school's academic interest is best served when the Admissions Department has a free hand.</p>
<p>I am very impressed with the voluntary pay cut by the rector and the 7% increase in the FA budget. </p>
<p>The article also states that the school has experienced a 23% drop in its endowment. Someone else had posted Andover was down 20%. Of course, decreases of these magnitudes are unfortunate but it could have been much worse.</p>
<p>Private schools may have as many applicants as last year, or even more. I just saw this article in the Boston Globe: More</a> students leaving Newton's public schools - Newton - Your Town - Boston.com.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In interviews of parents by school officials, the primary reasons for leaving the Newton public schools was "a desire for smaller class sizes, smaller facilities, more individualized attention, more structured environment, and more access to specialized programs" in art, music, and sports.</p>
<p>Parents also said the failure of a $12 million property tax override last May, the amount of time spent on MCAS testing and the conditions of the school buildings affected their decisions.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The article does not have figures for this year, but once again, the financial meltdown will affect all schools, public as well as private.</p>
<p>It is very interesting to me that parents cited the amount of time spent on state test preparation as a reason to leave. Chances are, these are the same kids who score well on them. When they leave, the public school's overall acheivement rate will decline, causing another flurry of test prep. So the cycle continues. Will they ever learn?</p>
<p>It is interesting to see that more good students leave for private school as economy and public school program deteriorates. Good students do not necessarily mean that they are from rich family. However, it is not surprising to see that good students families are usually not poor. Those families care more about their kids education. That may be why the application to BS does not go down even in this kind of economy.</p>
<p>Are you insinuating that academic performance correlates with net family income?</p>
<p>I am not speaking from erkybk, but there is a well acknowledged correlation between family income and educational achievement. The higher your family income the greater your educational attainment. Obviously this does not apply to everyone, but some studies show that family income/poverty matters more than factors such as race. I am only commenting on this because I lived in a community where this was a very big issue for the public school system.</p>
<p>Fair enough. I guess my initial reaction was due to the fact that this is certainly not the case at HADES schools and other schools discussed on CC. Schools like Andover and Exeter strive to educate "youth from every quarter" and a relationship between income and educational achievement is virtually nonexistent there. Thank goodness.</p>
<p>Ring TingTing the fact that they "strive to educate youth from every quarter", is based upon over a century of giving alumni and trustees deeming it necessary to do so for the benefit of the country and the school. It is not an entitlement, and it might not continue forever. It can change at any time if the trustees deem it is in the best interest of the school to do so. (not that it will). I don't think Prep Schools get enough national recognition for the efforts they make to bring underprivileged bright kids into their schools.
Noblesse Oblige</p>
<p>Um... okay, thanks for that Sarum...</p>
<p>Does "every quarter" represent a geographic or a socioeconomic concept? Is the proper interpretation "from all regions and states and countries" or is it rather "from every level on the socioeconomic ladder?????"</p>
<p>I think that, at least now, it's interpreted as both.</p>
<p>It has been reported in a Boston local Korean newpapers that the number of application is higher than last year in Miton, Deerfield, St. Paul's, St. Mark's, Choate, Lawrenceville. The number of South Korean apllication is also higher than last year. Last year most of BS school had a record high applications. But it seems like that they will break the record. However, the newspaper said that the lower profile(average or below average) BS suffers an decrease in application.</p>
<p>Northfield Mount Hermon, which is popular with Koreans, had a slow start in applications, but total shot up to normal/equal to last year's all-time high. More app came with FA requests attached. NMH announced that first priority for FA will go to current students (which also saw an increase in FA aps) with fewer going to new students. Before one loses heart - NMH's institutional goals have always lead to award of an amazing/humongous amount of FA. NMH FA will still be amazing.</p>
<p>Another sign of the times - Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship suspends selection of scholars for 2009.<br>
Institute</a> for Educational Advancement - Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship</p>
<p>I can't wait to see how Mr. Punahou is planning on helping gifted FA students continue in the schools of their choice.</p>
<p>Re: Bradley Scholarship: I guess that explains why they haven't responded to my email (sigh).</p>