Tuition Rates 2026-2027
Sarah Casavechia
Dear Saint Andrew School Families,
Every February, following a careful review of enrollment, expenses, and long-term growth goals, we share an update with families regarding tuition and fees for the upcoming school year.
While specific circumstances may change from year to year, the seriousness of this decision does not. All decisions made in partnership with our School Advisory Board are approached thoughtfully and with great care. We recognize that families have many choices when selecting a school and that the investment in a Saint Andrew education is a meaningful one for every household. At the same time, we remain committed to strengthening our curriculum, supporting and retaining excellent faculty, and maintaining facilities that serve both our current students and the Bulldogs we hope to welcome in the future. Enrollment continues to be central to our mission and guides our planning and priorities.
With this in mind, we would like to share our plan for the 2026–2027 school year:
K–8 Tuition
Tuition for grades K–8 will increase by approximately 3 percent to $12,850 per student. This represents the smallest tuition increase in recent years, following annual increases of 5 to 10 percent over the past four years. While any increase is carefully considered, this adjustment remains necessary to support the continued success of our school, faculty, and students. As in prior years, tuition will continue to be set holistically, with no separate book or technology fees.Early Childhood Education Tuition
Tuition for our Early Childhood Education program will remain unchanged for the 2026–2027 school year. This decision helps us remain competitive with local Catholic schools and continue to attract families who are essential to growing our community.Multi-Child Discount
Our multi-child discount continues to be an important differentiator. While the discount is not as strong as it has been in years past, Saint Andrew still offers a $2,000 discount for additional children. This discount will apply to both K-8 and early childhood students. This remains significantly higher than the $1,000 per-family discount offered by many local Catholic schools and continues to provide meaningful savings for our families. Importantly, adjusting the multichild discount is the catalyst that enables us to implement the smaller 3 percent increase in the base tuition, as discussed above. Without this adjustment to the multichild discount, our base tuition increase would have needed to be significantly higher to cover our operating expenses.Faculty Compensation and Retention
We will increase total teacher compensation by approximately 4 percent while continuing our Blue Ribbon Fund to support teacher retention. Teachers in the Archdiocese are paid on a fixed scale, beginning at approximately $37,000 per year plus benefits, compared to approximately $65,000 at Chicago Public Schools. While fully closing that gap is not feasible, a tuition increase three years ago helped address this challenge by providing an additional $60,000 in teacher retention bonuses and grants. This year, nearly 90 cents of every tuition dollar went directly toward teacher compensation. We are also deeply grateful for your generosity through our voluntary Christmas and year-end teacher bonus funds, which provide additional direct support to our faculty.Alternative Revenue and Fundraising
Our efforts to expand alternative revenue streams have been successful. The second year of the Bulldog Hustle generated nearly $70,000 in support for Saint Andrew and included generous participation from individuals who were new to giving to our school. We remain committed to growing and diversifying revenue opportunities such as this to strengthen our financial future while continuing to keep tuition affordable and competitive with other local Catholic schools.Enrollment and Marketing Efforts
With your support, we will continue to actively market our school to support enrollment growth. While the future always carries uncertainty, enrollment remains our primary source of revenue. A strong pipeline of new students is essential, particularly through our early childhood programs, where families are more likely to remain with us through elementary school. At the same time, Catholic schools across our area are experiencing a decline in early childhood enrollment. The recent addition to our marketing staff has brought new energy to this work, and we continue to rely on our Saint Andrew families to help welcome new students into our community. You are our strongest ambassadors.Service Hours Commitment
We ask each family to recommit to a minimum of 15 service hours, tracked throughout the school year. Volunteers are essential to making our events both possible and successful. Eligible activities include fundraisers, parish events, field trips, scouting, sports concessions, and more. Your time and support make a meaningful difference.Tuition Assistance
We remain steadfast in our belief that a Catholic school education should be attainable for every family that seeks it. Tuition assistance is a cornerstone of the Saint Andrew community, and we are deeply committed to supporting families through this vital program. We work diligently to ensure that financial need does not become a barrier for families seeking a Saint Andrew education. Families interested in being considered for financial assistance should complete an application through FACTS Tuition Assistance.
Our goal is to support our students, teachers, and families in ways that strengthen our shared community. We hope this information provides clarity around our financial decisions and highlights the areas where your continued partnership is most impactful.
We welcome your questions and sincerely appreciate your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Sarah Casavechia Fr. Hank Lyon
Principal Pastor
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Sarah Casavechia
Dear Families,
Some families have shared that the previous email did not display correctly in their email provider. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Please see the attached scanned copy of the original message for your reference.
Mrs. Casavechia