Board Approves 2012-2013 Budget

Updated 1/25/2012*

This fall the Finance Committee, composed of parents (Rich Levine, Howard Mah, and Matt Plut), Board members (Marian Baldauf, Alicia Fernandez, Clara Kwun, and Steve Morris), teachers (Stewart Dorsey, Francisco Hernandez and Vahlee Peters), and administrators (Julie Galles and Cindy Woo) crafted the budget for the 2012-2013 school year. We worked collaboratively, with family, staff and the future of The San Francisco School in mind, as we honed the plan to secure all that we love about the school in a financially conscientious manner.

At the forefront of our minds were:

• Preserving the high quality of the educational program,
• Keeping our teachers fairly and competitively paid,
• The long-term sustainability of the school, and
• The real impact that our current economy has on some of our families.

At its January 9th meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 2012-2013 budget proposed by the Finance Committee. Tuition will increase 4.99%. Tuition for preschool and elementary will be $22,585 with a total dollar increase of $1,075 ($108 per month); tuition for the Middle School will be $24,360 with a total dollar increase of $1,160 ($116 per month). The school’s commitment to the Indexed Tuition program was reaffirmed by keeping the level of tuition dollars funded by the school at 18% of total tuition.

The Process
We begin the budget process by reviewing and considering the following:

• Our tuition relative to other Pre-school and K-8 San Francisco independent schools: This review showed that our Elementary tuition is among the lowest in San Francisco, while our Middle School tuition is below the median.
• Teachers’ salaries relative to our peer institutions: Our goal is to keep faculty and staff salaries in the mid-50th percentile of peer schools. This review showed that we are meeting this goal.
• Impact on current families: Balancing the cost of operating the school with the impact of tuition increases is constantly on the minds of the Finance Committee members and the Board, and is something we re-visit multiple times during the budget process.
• Status Quo Budget: Then we look at the “status quo” budget. This budget is the cost of running the school from year to year with no program changes. It includes the estimated impact of inflation (+3.40% over the previous year) and teachers step salary increases. As it is at most schools, teachers at SFS work on a “step system” where salaries are slightly increased each year based on experience and professional development. Implementation of a status quo-only
  budget would have resulted in a tuition increase of 4.36%.
• Addressing Strategic Plan Initiatives: Strategic Plan Initiatives brought the tuition increase to 4.99%. These include funding for increased support in our Learning Services department, Business Office, and a modest allocation to the Head’s Initiative Fund. The Head’s Initiative Fund allows for program enhancements to be determined in collaboration with the administration and faculty.

Looking Forward
These are exciting times at The San Francisco School as we look forward to a time of responsible growth and expansion of our facilities. The Board is continuing to explore new ways to control costs and maintain our ongoing commitment to having a full range of economic diversity at the school. It is also imperative that we continue to maintain and further improve all that we love about the school.

The San Francisco School is one of the most diverse independent schools in the Bay Area. That diversity includes socio-economic factors. Our shared respect for all members of the school’s community – students, parents and guardians, teachers and staff – is one of the central reasons we are here together. For those in the community who are able, we ask for your continued strong financial support of the Annual Fund and the Community Center building campaign. Please make the school your first giving priority, so that we can ensure that SFS not only maintains its excellent program, but also grows and strengthens in the coming years.

For those who are concerned with their ability to afford tuition or if there are questions about the budget process, we encourage you to talk with Cindy Woo and/or Steve Morris.

We would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Finance Committee for all their hard work on this budget.

Marian Baldauf                                                                          
Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee

Steve Morris
Head of School

*The original letter contained inaccurate information in regards to the 2012-2013 tuition increase covering costs associated with interest payments for the Community Center Project. These payments may minimally impact tuition in future years, but only within the current tuition policy that ensures The San Francisco School tuition stays at or below the median of other K-8 San Francisco independent schools. Please do not hesitate emailing Cindy Woo (cwoo@sfschool.org), Steve (smorris@sfschool.org) or Marian (baldauf@comcast.net) with any questions.

Back to the 80s

Online Auction – Friday, March 16th, 2012
Silent & Live Auction Event – Saturday, April 14th, 2012
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco

www.sfschool.org/auction

Calling All Volunteers -- We Need YOUR Help!
Each year the school relies on parents and guardians to help with various auction-related volunteer tasks in the months leading up to the event. Whether you can work from home during the day, or just spare a few hours here and there, your time and energy will greatly help the auction planning process.

The following are our current volunteer tasks needing to be filled. Emily Garlock will partner with each volunteer to ensure success. If you are interested in helping with any of these tasks, please contact Emily (egarlock@sfschool.org). We thank you in advance for your help!

Business Community Solicitation Team
Time Frame: Now until donation deadline.
When & Where: On your own schedule!
This is a multi-person volunteer job – all parents and guardians can participate in this in some capacity! These volunteers reach out to the SFS Business Master List of contacts to complete follow-up requests and communications, with the goal of acquiring donations. Look for more information to follow regarding accessing the Auction Business Database online.

Donation Pick-Up
Time Frame: Now and as donations come in…
When & Where: On your own schedule, during business hours (may vary).
Help by picking up donations from local businesses around San Francisco as needed, and delivering them to SFS.

Advertising Coordination
Time Frame: Now until ad deadline.
When & Where: Can be done from home and on your own schedule!
This volunteer would manage all request communications (email/phone) to SFS vendors and previous ad supporters, with the goal of acquiring advertisements for the printed auction catalog.

Online Auction Support Team
Time Frame: Starting in the coming weeks, and until the launch of the Online Auction.
When & Where: Can be done from home computer and on your own schedule, anytime!
Volunteers are part of a team of parents who work with Emily Garlock to get the Online Auction up and running, and ready to launch in late March. This includes online data entry, editing and proofreading, and adding visuals and website links to individual submissions.

Live Auction Slide Show & Program Support
Time Frame: Weeks leading up to Auction and night of the Event.
When & Where: Prep work on your own schedule, and in coordination with Emily Garlock prior to and at the Event.
Do you have experience with Powerpoint, Keynote or video production? We are seeking a volunteer to coordinate our Live Auction slideshow and program presentation for the night of the Auction. A great task for someone who likes to work behind the scenes!

Raffle Sales
Time Frame: Weeks leading up to Auction and night of the Event, as needed.
When & Where: Anywhere, anytime, until we’ve sold all 100 tickets!
We need this volunteer to lead the charge in selling 100 “Best of Live” Raffle tickets at $100 each

Volunteer Manager - Day of Event
Time Frame: Day of Auction.
When & Where: Set-up of the Event.
In conjunction with Emily Garlock and other school staff, this volunteer will be a main point of contact for all parent volunteers throughout event set-up.

Registration Manager
Time Frame: Night of Auction
When & Where: At the Event
This volunteer will work with key staff and oversee parent volunteers at the event to make sure the registration process runs smoothly!

Auction Materials & Resources:
• Auction Donation Form
• Auction Advertising Form

SFS Bylaws
Parents and guardians: please look in your mail for a ballot asking for your vote on the school's newly amended and restated Bylaws. These new Bylaws have been unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees and the Staff. The mailing accompanying the ballot will explain the amendments. The deadline for casting your ballot is 5:00 PM on Friday, February 3rd.

SFS Summer Program 2012
You can now browse our summer camp offerings online at www.sfschool.org/summer. Registration will start February 1st.

Updated School Roster
There is now an updated roster in the Parent Portal! You can find the new PDF version at www.sfschool.org/families under “Popular”. If you have saved an old version of the PDF on your personal computer, don’t forget to replace it with the new version. Updates happen periodically throughout the year, so please check back for the most recent information from time to time.

Front Desk Coverage
Andrea Reed will be out for a few weeks so we may have various substitutes working at the Front Desk. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Save the Date: Grandparents & Special Friends Day 2012
The school’s 2012 Grandparents & Special Friends Day will be Friday, May 4th from 8 – 11 AM. Invitations will be mailed to grandparents and special friends in late March. If you would like to make sure that a grandparent and/or special friend is included in the mailing, please contact Emily Garlock (egarlock@sfschool.org).

A Reminder to All Parents
Please plan your child’s after school arrangements ahead of time, whenever possible. Last minute phone and email messages to the Front Desk (after noon) are difficult to deliver. Thanks for your consideration.

Adoption Affinity Group Potluck – Saturday, January 28
The Adoption Affinity Group cordially invites all SFS families with adopted children to attend a potluck dinner this Saturday, January 28, from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. The dinner is a great opportunity for families of adoptive kids to get together, share experiences and build community. Hosted by Matt Plut and Hazel White (Jake, 8th) at their home (513 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA 94117). Please direct RSVPs and any questions to Suzanne Toller (Zara, 5 North) at suzannetoller@dwt.com or CeCe Cronin (Nanya, 1st) at cececronin@gmail.com.

SFS to Host Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) Training!
We are thrilled to announce that NERT training will be held at SFS this winter. The goal of this program is to help the citizens of San Francisco be self-sufficient in a major disaster situation by developing multi-functional teams, cross-trained in basic emergency skills. Through this program, individuals will learn hands-on disaster skills that will help them as members of an emergency response team, preparing them to respond to a personal emergency or as an adjunct to the SFFD response. The 20-hour training consists of six class sessions that are approximately 3 hours each. The NERT Training is free to the public but enrollment is limited. Sign up, attend all 6 classes, and feel better prepared at home, work or play! To register, call 970-2024 or visit http://sf-fire.org/index.aspx?page=865. For more information on class schedule and content, click here.

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