Virtual Town Hall - June 11, 2020

• This challenge is real – especially for families of our youngest students. 
• Barrie School’s costs actually increase during a pandemic (medical equipment, professional development, additional learning materials, technology expenses, janitorial cleaning during the day etc.). 
• Our faculty and staff have made a life-long commitment to educating children – your children – and we need to support them just like we support our families. 
• Distance learning will absolutely continue (and ideally get even better) if our campus is closed for portions of next year.

Barrie's Tuition Credit Plan:

• Is fair, simple to explain, and straightforward to implement
• Builds a refund structure that is progressive and helps families of the youngest children the most because the educational experience has been impacted the most, and
• Balances the very real childcare impact on families alongside our commitment to pay teachers.

*This is a Barrie School specific plan that differs from the Dewar Tuition Refund Plan

Stewarding Every dollar: Your tuition goes directly to paying faculty and staff salaries, to investments in curricular innovation and classroom materials, and to maintaining our amazing campus.

Keeping Costs Low: We have strived to keep tuition increases in the 1-2% range each year over the past three years.

Generational Equity

• Middle and high school families have experienced the lowest tuition increases and have had out of pocket costs – like books and materials – absorbed by the school and not passed on in additional tuition.
   
• Toddler, Primary, and Elementary families have experienced the greatest challenges with distance learning because their children’s developmental stages make learning in front of a screen the most difficult.

Refunds will be structured with a tiered percentage off per day when the campus is closed for COVID-19. 

The largest refunds will go to the youngest students.

If regional officials close our campus for portions of next year, Faculty and staff will still utilize Mondays to plan for their classes, develop curriculum with colleagues, and meet as needed with families. 

Regular classes will not be held on Mondays if the campus is closed.  Just like this year.

The School will not offer refunds if the school is closed for two weeks or less over the entire year because of the comparatively low impact on families.

Credit toward refunds will begin on on the 11th cumulative day the campus has been closed due to COVID-19 (i.e. in the third week after a campus closure and we have transitioned to online learning.)

Tuition refunds will apply on a family’s net tuition after financial aid. 

This means that if a family is paying 80% of tuition (i.e. a 20% FA award), their refund will be the same percentage as everyone else.

Refunds will count as tuition credits calculated each trimester. Cash refunds will be given after a family has paid their full tuition obligation for the year.

If the Barrie School campus is open and would otherwise hold regular classes when a snowstorm hits and Montgomery County Schools call a snow day….then:

• We follow the exact same established procedures as in past years.
   
• We will not hold virtual classes and students can enjoy the snow.
   
• Beginning on the third consecutive day of an extended closure due to snow, virtual classes will begin and continue until it is safe for people to drive to campus.
   
• A  non-COVID-19 Snow Day will not count toward refunds.
   

However, if the Barrie School campus is closed due to COVID-19 and we are already immersed in Distance Learning….then:

• Virtual classes will continue as originally planned. (Sorry kids, not a day off)
   
• This type of day will count toward refunds.

• We are taking extraordinary efforts to support our families during this difficult time and – just as we shared at the April 2020 Town Hall – it is crucial that families continue to pay their tuition on time so we can pay our hardworking faculty and staff. This includes the June 2020 payment.
   
• We have moved the withdrawal deadline from June 1 to July 15, 2020 to give families more time to recover and our region more time to respond / plan for reopening.
   
• We will hold a number of Virtual Orientations in August to launch the school year
   
• Please reach out Ashley Thomas or Hanh Nguyen with additional questions.