With a 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio, over 150-course offerings, and 85 percent of faculty holding an advanced degree, it’s clear why attending The Bishop’s School comes at a price. Next year, that price will be higher.

  According to the Head of School, Mr. Ron Kim, and the School Board in an email sent to the parents on January 6, the 2023-2024 tuition will cost $44,040, an increase of about $3,000 – 7.2 percent. 

The Bishop’s School is an independent school, which means that it does not receive government funding. Therefore, the School relies on tuition and donations to provide the valuable college-preparatory experiences they offer. The School cited the recent nearly 8 percent rise in inflation due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a primary cause.

The tuition raise is nearly four percent higher than the previous five years in which the tuition was raised by 3.1 percent per year. However, Mr. Kim and the Board noted that the consumer price index, or inflation, was increasing on average by 4.1 percent.

In the email, they wrote that the tuition pays for 80 percent of the School’s expenses, 70 percent of which are faculty and staff salaries. They wrote, “These times are always a reminder for us that independent schools maintain a critical balance between keeping tuition as affordable as possible while also attracting and retaining the outstanding faculty and staff who teach and support the students.”

Mr. Kim referenced the 2022 Authentic Connections Survey, which surveyed students on well-being, and noted that out of the positive results, the central idea was the “caring relationships with teachers who provide academic and emotional support – the core of [students’] Bishop’s experience.” The School says they want to stay as committed to the faculty and staff as they are to students, while “managing the sharp increases in the costs of School operations.”

Although several students and parents declined to comment on the tuition increase, many Bishop’s families are considering the increase for the upcoming school year. However, Mr. Kim and the Board assured the community that they, “take the decision on tuition increase seriously, knowing that families make sacrifices to provide an outstanding education for their children.”