May 7, 2020
Dear WRA Families,
I write today in the spirit of transparency. I know many of you have questions regarding finances at WRA in this time of COVID-19. Like so many individuals, organizations and businesses, WRA has felt the impact of unexpected and rapid economic change. The conversations around dinner tables in homes are not dissimilar to the conversations we are having here at school, as we search for solutions in a time of challenge, related to a family we care for deeply.
As a not-for-profit organization, WRA's budget utilizes various revenue sources to cover expenses. All of these funds directly support the operations of the school. While tuition is our largest source of revenue, it only covers 66% of the cost of a Reserve education. Most expenses are fixed at the beginning of the school year with little variation based on any enrollment changes throughout the year.
Our faculty and students have proven their mettle during the significant pivot to distance learning. News reports suggest as many as 40% of students in the United States have not attended a single online class during the COVD-19 crisis. We are proud of our community of Pioneers — present, resourceful, and adapting to new ways of learning and living. Our virtual classrooms are vibrant and our Seniors are celebrating stellar college destinations. We know our students at every level will close the year with the successful completion of academic requirements. While it is different, we feel confident that distance learning has maintained the standards of excellence and connection that are hallmarks of a Reserve education.
Still, we know there are costs outside the classroom learning experience that must be addressed. We have refunded all costs related to planned spring trips, for academics and athletics. Not all partners refunded our expenditures for these trips, but we were pleased to be able to absorb costs and provide full refunds to all involved.
Additionally, WRA will provide a credit of $1,500 if full boarding tuition was paid in the 2019-20 school year. This amount will be prorated proportionately for boarding families who received financial aid or for families of students who boarded for only part of the year. The credit will be available on your child's debit account by end of day on Friday, May 8. Please click here to elect how you would like to apply these funds.
Moreover, we are committed to helping any family struggling with expenses as a result of COVID-19. Please contact Tom Arnold (arnoldt@wra.net) or Kara Stutzman (stutzmank@wra.net) in the Business Office for more details.
As previously communicated, we are thrilled by the prospect of reuniting our community in August for the new school year. As such, please move forward confidently with your enrollment contracts for the 2020-21 year, if you have not done so already. Should travel or other VISA restrictions prohibit your enrollment, your deposit will be refunded. For all other matters related to COVID-19 that may impact your enrollment, we will be as flexible as possible. Please contact the Admission Office at 330-650-9717 with questions.
It is my sincere hope that this message provides some clarity to you in these otherwise uncertain times. I, along with our Chief Financial and Operating Officer Tom Arnold, are here to answer any other questions that you may have.
As we all look forward with pioneering optimism to the stability that lies ahead, I am confident in the ever stronger Reserve community that is to come.
Sending energy,