Under New Leadership, Berkshire Country Day School Prioritizes Access & Affordability: Fair Share Tuition Plan

STOCKBRIDGE/LENOX, MA (10/17/2019) (readMedia)-- At the September meeting of the Board of Trustees of Berkshire Country Day School (BCD), Board members voted unanimously to adopt a new tuition schedule intended to make the School's programs affordable and accessible to families at all levels of income. "In implementing this program," stated new Head of School Jenifer Fox, "BCD is joining the many organizations in the Berkshires who see their mission as strengthening the greater area with a focus on social justice through education." To that end, the School, which serves children from age 2 through Grade 8, will adopt a new tuition schedule (The Fair Share Program), enabling families to apply quickly and easily for tuition pegged to their specific resources. "We want parents in the region to know that BCD is affordable and accessible to all families seeking a personalized, independent education that builds on students' individual strengths and prepares them for future success," said Fox.

Is paying for elementary school worth it?

Fox explained that young people experience rapid brain development and elasticity during their first five years of life. The benefits of high-quality early childhood education go far beyond academic gains. In addition to being better prepared for high school, children in personalized, enriching pre-K-8 programs that emphasize social-emotional learning also enjoy long-term benefits into adulthood both personally and professionally.

Stated Fox, "The move toward the Fair Share program does not mean that it costs any less to educate a student today. Like all independent schools, we experience a gap between tuition and the real costs of a full education that includes sports for all, extensive arts programming and creative experiences including travel programs designed to complement the curriculum and build students' independence. We depend on the generosity of our supporters –mostly past parents who have experienced first-hand the life changing effects of a BCD education. Almost everywhere you go in the Berkshires or Columbia County, you will run into a successful graduate of BCD. They tend to be engaged in work that somehow strengthens this community. We wanted to make a bold move to ensure that all families, no matter what their resources, can afford our educational experience."

What is the FAIR SHARE tuition program?

"Middle income families-people making a good living-are often underserved by independent schools," says Fox. "Our economy tends to underestimate the various strains on this level of earner, and we want people to know that we are here and will work with you."

The Fair Share tuition program is just one of the initiatives Fox, an author and educator with over thirty years of experience leading independent school, plans to introduce at Berkshire Country Day. The Fair Share Tuition Program ensures that more people can experience what a small, highly individualized education within an intentional community offers." Fox said. "We see it as our civic duty to ensure access to any family that believes in our mission."

About Berkshire Country Day School

Berkshire Country Day School is an independent school for 2-year olds through Grade 8 and has been voted "Best Private School in the Berkshires" in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The school serves students from towns throughout Berkshire and Columbia Counties on its historic 27-acre campus, and graduates excel at both local public high schools and some of the country's best college preparatory schools. The school's mission is to inspire the individual promise of every student, that each may become an exemplary citizen of the world. For more information about the school, visit berkshirecountryday.org.