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The
Stanwich School is thriving. The School has assumed its place among
the premier independent schools in Fairfield
County. The School's success can be measured
in many ways, from consistently high student
test scores to dramatic enrollment growth.
However, one of the most compelling measures
of The School's success is the extraordinary
financial support from The School's families
and friends. The Stanwich School community
believes in the mission of The School and is
committed to The School's future.
The
Development Office works closely
with the Board of Trustees, parents, grandparents,
and friends to help The School achieve its mission.
The Development Office supports the ties between
The School and those who are committed to its
continuing growth and quality. We seek to strengthen
and secure the School's financial health by
establishing a "culture of
giving."
As
with all independent schools, The Stanwich School's
fundraising efforts must be understood as an
essential component of all of the revenue sources
available to support The School's mission, growth
and stability. Following is an overview
of The Stanwich School's revenue sources and
the uses of these funds.
Responsible
Financial Stewardship
Since
The School's founding in 1998, the Board of
Trustees has been deliberate and systematic
in its efforts to establish a fiscally sound
infrastructure for The Stanwich School.
We have been able to keep our financial house
in order in large part because most parents,
grandparents, and friends of The School understand
that tuition and fees alone will not sustain
excellence. Like all successful independent
schools, we have purposefully sought to diversify
our sources of revenue.
Fundraising,
from the beginning, has been an essential component
of our revenue base. We launched both
an Annual
Fund and Annual
Benefit during our first
year to supplement the annual operating budget,
and to establish a culture of philanthropy at
Stanwich. Both efforts continue on an
annual basis, with increasing levels of volunteer
support and income. Our
Annual Fund has attained 100% participation from
returning parents,
an achievement virtually unprecedented among
independent schools.
Now
that The School is fully accredited by The Connecticut
Association of Independent Schools and is a
member of The National Association of Independent
Schools, matching gifts and grants are available
to augment the revenue stream.
In
addition to producing the Annual Benefit, The
Parent Association conducts a variety of fundraising
events, such as an annual Book Fair, to provide
additional operating funds.
The
Board of Trustees also has created an unrestricted
Endowment Fund to support The School's long-term
facility, program, scholarship and staffing
needs. In March 2000, the Board unanimously
passed a resolution to establish such an endowment,
a step other schools have taken much later in
their history. In the absence of alumni,
we must count on ourselves - most notably parents
- to expand this initiative.
The
Role of Tuition
While
not a fund-raising component, tuition is the
largest source of operating revenue in the annual
operating budget. Tuition funds the basic
necessities of providing the quality education
our parents expect, on a year-by-year basis.
However, tuition alone does not cover
the cost of developing the excellence of The
Stanwich School.
Expenditures
per student have increased every year and are
used as follows:
- Faculty
salaries and benefits comprise the largest
component of these educational expenses.
Our goal is to attract and retain the finest
faculty in the area, in order to deliver the
finest program. To meet this goal, The
Board of Trustees resolved
to compensate our faculty at levels competitive
with the Greenwich Public Schools, well ahead
of other independent schools in our area.
Furthermore, our employee benefits are at
least comparable to our peer schools. As a
result of this serious commitment to our teachers,
we have one of the highest staff retention
rates in the area.
- Other
educational expenses include classroom materials,
art and enrichment programs, technology development,
and a diverse athletic program utilizing the
resources available in our community.
- Finally,
tuition funds the administrative expenses
necessary to support the program and all plant
expenses.
In
summary, tuition, along with the Annual Fund,
and the Parent Association fundraisers, comprise
nearly all of The School's annual operating
revenues. Each of these income sources
is a renewed annual effort used to offset annual
educational and operating expenses.
Where
We Stand Today
Today,
The Stanwich School is fiscally healthy on a
year-to-year basis, with adequate financial
resources to meet its annual program needs.
Our cash flow is positive and growing, allowing
us to focus our attention on the growth of our
students. We are committed to the future
of The Stanwich School and securing its long-term
success.
For
more information, please contact:
Jane Ghazarossian, Director of Development
The Stanwich School
257 Stanwich Road
Greenwich, CT 06830
t. 203.542.0007
f. 203.863.2097
janeg@stanwichschool.org
or
Olivia Dolce, Director of the Annual Fund
The
Stanwich School
257
Stanwich Road
Greenwich,
CT 06830
t.
203.542.0030
f. 203.863.2097
ldolce@stanwichschool.org
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