Budget and Tuition FAQs

List of 9 frequently asked questions.

• How is tuition determined?

  Tuition is determined by estimating the anticipated future revenues and expenses of the school. The Board of Trustees has the ultimate say in the school’s budget. Every year, the school administration proposes a budget to the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees. The Finance Committee reviews the budget; asks for adjustments, if necessary; and upon consensus, recommends the budget to the full Board for adoption. 

  
  EB’s Board of Trustees looks to balance the Finance Committee’s recommendations on tuition, fees, and fundraising levels against salary adjustments, capital expenditures, and other necessary expenses—all within the context of a budget that responds to the current needs and growth expectations of the school, as well as its long-term sustainability. After deliberation and revisions, the Board approves the budget in January each year.

• What are the main issues the Board of Trustees considered in setting the tuition for 2025–26?

  The Board focuses on a number of established priorities when setting tuition:

  • Minimal increases to tuition.
  • Competitive wages and benefits for EB’s employees.
  • Continued investments in academic initiatives, support structures, and school facilities.
  • New investments toward strategic plan initiatives.
  • A conservative forecasting approach to build the budget and avoid major financial surprises.
    
    

  EB is a member of a vibrant independent school community in the Bay Area, so we must also ensure that we’re providing a competitive offering for our students, faculty, and administrative staff. Thus, the Board’s decisions are based on the specific needs of the school, as well as an analysis of historical trends and the Bay Area independent school environment. We want to be positioned to attract and retain the best talent to continue to fulfill our mission and to deliver one of the best bilingual programs locally and nationwide.

• What do you mean by “conservative forecasting”?

  Budgeting, by definition, involves assumptions and factors that are unknown at the start of the process. Some of the variables and unknowns that EB contends with every year include enrollment, tuition assistance, compensation, and fundraising. Why are these unknowns?
  
  

  • Changes to tuition are voted on by the Board in January. To determine the tuition, a budget must be established beforehand. The revenue side of the budget is determined in large part by enrollment figures, which are finalized later in the year. Thus, the budget relies on estimated enrollment, based on trends from the previous three years for both new and returning students. The Board of Trustees takes this conservative approach to ensure the viability of the budget, and to prevent any financial surprises to the school.
  • The budget also relies on estimates for tuition assistance, since actual assistance figures are not clear until later in the spring, when review of assistance applications is complete. The budget assumes tuition assistance levels that conservatively reflect EB’s trends and policies.

  The budget also requires estimates for fundraising. Net tuition and fees account for 96 percent of EB’s operating revenues, which means the school must also rely on revenue from the Annual Fund, Gala and other fundraising efforts to reach a balanced budget. This approach is common in independent schools, allowing families to make a tax-deductible gift to cover the full cost of an EB education, which may be eligible for corporate matching, and reflective of their financial comfort in a given year. However, actual revenues from fundraising activities are not known until after the school year is underway.

• What is EB’s budget for 2025–26?

  EB’s total net revenue is budgeted at $14.7 million for the 2025-26 school year. Of this, $13.8 million (94.22 percent) will come from net tuition and fees, with the remainder coming from Annual Fund giving, Parents’ Association fundraising events (such as the Auction, Run-a-thon, and Place du Marché), and other revenue, such as interest and endowment.

  
  Approximately 76 percent of the budget goes toward compensation (salaries, payroll taxes, and benefits): approximately 49 percent for faculty and extended-day staff, and approximately 27 percent for maintenance, administrative, and clerical staff. Other large expenses include the debt service on the financing of the school’s facilities (3.78%), plant expenses exclusive of labor cost and inclusive of depreciation (10.13%). The remaining 10.1 percent supports other costs (educational supplies, equipment, professional fees, marketing etc.)

• How does EB’s tuition increase compare to that of other schools?

  The Board’s ongoing intention is to keep tuition as low as possible, and to keep the annual increase minimal and reasonably steady. Increases at the rate of the local Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1 to 2 percentage points are the norm in independent schools.

  
  For the 2024–25 academic year, the average tuition increase at CAL-ISBOA member East Bay independent schools was CPI plus 1.76% in kindergarten, 1.76% in G2, 2.92% in G5 and 3.14% in G7; EB was CPI plus 1.38% in Preschool and Lower School and 0.61% over CPI in Middle School. 

• What percent of the budget is tuition assistance?

  EB’s need-based tuition assistance will represent just above 16% of tuition and fees in 2025-26. In addition, French students can receive need-based assistance from the French government (Bourses Scolaires). Tuition assistance from these two programs combined is well above the aid levels at other East Bay schools and continues to foster the diversity that is part of the EB experience. Students who receive tuition assistance contribute positively to EB’s budget and support the financial sustainability of the school.

  
  If you have further questions about tuition assistance, feel free to contact Antoine Portales, Director of Business and Finance, at aportales@eb.org.

• How much support does EB receive from the French government?

  The Bourses Scolaires for 2024–25 were $596,000. In other words, approximately 3.7% of EB’s tuition has been supported by Tuition Assistance from the French government. This support is not included in EB’s tuition assistance cost in the budget, as it simply flows through EB to families who qualify for assistance from the French government.

• Why is the Annual Fund so important?

  The Annual Fund enables financial flexibility for both families and the school. As at most independent schools, this fund is a tax-deductible means for parents to cover a portion of the cost of their child’s education. It is also a necessary revenue stream for covering annual operating expenses and keeping tuition lower than it would be otherwise. Furthermore, it is an important way for families to make valuable contributions toward building a diverse and vibrant school community, enabling them to fund enrichment programs for students and teachers, as well as tuition assistance.
  
  

  The 2024–25 budget assumes a minimum of $470,000 of Annual Fund giving which is similar to the budget for the current year. The Gala, Run-a-thon, Place du Marché, and other programs provide additional valuable fundraising dollars.
  
  

  If you have any further questions about the school’s fundraising, please feel free to contact Mei-Lin Ha, Director of Development and Communications, at mha@eb.org.

• Other questions?

  Please send any additional questions via email to ebboardchair@eb.org.