Tuition Schedule 2010 - 2011
Dear Parents:

Attached you will find the Tuition Schedule for the 2010/11 school year.  Several changes have been made, so we ask that you please read it carefully and contact Finance Director Elize Ramsay as soon as possible should you have any questions.

These changes reflect the Board’s commitment to look towards the future as we nurture and develop a school which meets the needs and expectations of our community members, both present and future.  

Tuition

Firstly, we are very happy to inform you that despite a 12.2% increase in our Operating Budget for next year, we have managed to keep the overall tuition increase, in Rand terms, to only 5.31%.   Bus fees have been increased by only 5%.  Both increases are well below current South African inflation.

Over half of the budget increase can be attributed to the hiring of eleven new expatriate teachers.  This will bring our overall percentage of expatriate teachers to 41% from the current 34%.  The message from our educational leaders throughout the school was clear:  to ensure that we can maintain the high quality of our American-style programme, additional expatriate teachers were needed in some key roles.  Nearly all of the remainder of the increase is attributable to the correct budgeting of the South African taxes we pay on behalf of our expatriate employees and other previously under-budgeted items.

Attached to the Tuition Schedule is a Contract for Enrollment for the 2010-11 School Year.  Please complete, sign and return this to the Business Office as soon as possible.  This year you will have the option of paying your tuition before the start of school, as in years past, or paying before the start of each semester.  It is important the Business Office receives this promptly so that your invoice can be prepared according to the payment schedule you select. 

Capital Fees

As you know, AISJ charges a Capital Fee for all new students when they enter the school.  This Capital Fee payable on entry will rise to R45,000 next year.

The Board is acutely aware that the growth of the last several years has stretched our facilities to their limits.  To transform AISJ into the truly world-class school our students deserve, extensive capital investments will be required over the next several years in everything from classrooms to athletic facilities, from arts facilities to technology.  The Board is committed to working with our incoming Director, Dr. Andy Page-Smith, to develop, through the strategic planning process, a master plan for the development of our campuses.

In order to ensure Dr. Page-Smith and his team have the resources they need to implement this plan, the Board has approved the introduction of an Annual Capital Fee, payable for all returning students.  For the 2010/11 school year, this fee will be R5,000.

It seems clear that Capital Fees alone will not be sufficient to meet all of AISJ’s future capital needs and so the Board will work with Dr. Page-Smith next year to develop a long-term financial plan.  It is likely that this plan will include seeking corporate sponsorship and individual donations.

Advance Deposit

The Board this year has also approved the introduction of a tuition deposit of US$1000 per student, payable by 1 June.  As AISJ approaches maximum capacity in some grades, it will help us to offer firm commitments to our new families in a timely manner.  As many of you have experienced, one of the most stressful parts of an international move can be not knowing where your children will go to school.  This will help us to make the transitions for our new families that much less difficult. 

Should you foresee any difficulty in getting your deposit in by the 1 June deadline, please contact Nicole Stewart at 011-464-1505, ext. 223 as soon as possible.  We do not anticipate starting the 2010-11 school year with any classes already at capacity, but want to ensure a smooth transition to this new way of doing things.

Thank you for your continued support,