By LAURA SPAULDING, Staff Writer/Educational Consultant and ROB WISE, Director of Enrollment Management
Yesterday, The Joy School was on the front page of the Houston Chronicle in the number one spot on “Houston’s Most Expensive Private Schools” list.
We are well aware of our school’s hefty price tag and realize this is not a list anyone wants to make. We do not take this lightly, and as mentioned in the article, strive to balance our high tuition with a generous financial aid program. Each year, our financial aid budget is over half a million dollars, with approximately 16% of our families receiving financial assistance. Of course, the question remains, what is driving our high tuition costs and, more specifically, this year's tuition increase?
1. We are not a traditional private school. With only one exception, every other school on this list is a traditional private school. The Joy School serves students with learning disabilities and learning differences. These are students who, although intellectually capable, have difficulty finding success in traditional school environments. There are a number of specialized resources necessary to meet the needs of our unique student population, but the primary difference is our class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios. Our kindergarten through second-grade classes have a maximum of six students to one teacher, and third through eighth-grade classes are capped at eight students each. Additionally, we employ a highly trained team of specialized learning support professionals, including Speech and Language Pathologists, Deans of Student and Family Support, and Educational Technologists.
2. We are unwilling to compromise our mission and core values. At The Joy School, our mission is to “prepare students with learning differences to return to traditional classroom settings by enabling them to reach their academic and social potential in a safe and supportive environment.” Simply put, we fix what we can fix, give strategies for the rest, and send students on their way, ready to succeed in learning and in life. The most effective learning tools for children with learning disabilities are people-intensive instruction and interventions. We are committed to providing our students with the best and most proven methods of instruction and intervention to meet the unique needs of each of our students. But no curriculum, technology, or program could ever replace the physical presence of caring adults. If you ask anyone the secret to the success of our program, evidenced in the long-term success of our students, the answer will forever be, “It’s the people.” Our small class sizes ensure our teachers and staff intimately know their students, enabling us to do what is right for the kids we serve. And what is right for our kids this year has consequently earned us the title “Houston’s Most Expensive Private School.”
3. Happy teachers are our most important asset because happy teachers are the most important ingredient to unlocking a child’s potential. Happy teachers make joyful students, and where there is joy, there is learning, growth, and success. The vast majority of our budget every year is spent on salaries, benefits, and professional development for our teachers and staff. We are aware it is not cheap to do what we do! This does not mean we are unaware of the impact economic struggles have had on educational trends, including tuition rates in independent schools. However, we are unwilling to let go of people, cut salaries or benefits, increase class sizes, or take away core resources, programs, or training. Great teachers are just too important to our mission and success as a school.
Several times in recent years, The Joy School applied and was named one of Houston’s top workplaces. We believe this list says more about our sustainability, our culture, our values, and our commitments than the Houston Chronicle's most expensive private schools list ever could. This school year, we have expanded our campus, enabling us to serve even more students. Instead of cutting salaries, programs, and people in an attempt to lower tuition, we will continue to stay true to our mission, do what is right for kids, and take good care of our assets, starting with our exceptional teachers and staff.
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