Q: What salary do teachers receive at SJP?

A: A beginning teacher with a Baccalaureate degree currently receives $24,342; a teacher with 10 years of experience and halfway to a Master’s Degree receives $38,336; the top salary for a teacher at SJP is $56,729 (PhD + 18 years of experience). There are more than 200 possible salaries between the bottom and the top based on education, expertise, and experience.

Q: Why does the Prep School want or need my money?

A: SJP depends on more than $1.3 million of annual support over and above tuition received from students. This is roughly 20% of our budget. This is typical of independent schools. Even though our tuition is $10,813, we receive on average approximately $4,600 per student less than that because of the large percentage of students on financial aid and because our middle school tuition is set at approximately ½ of the total upper school tuition.

Q: What does it cost to educate a student at SJP?

A: Our last audit listed the instructional cost at $10,905 per student. This does not include any of the costs associated with room and board or summer programs. From the same audit, an average of $6,713 was received per student in tuition. This leaves an average deficit of $4,192 per student which must be covered with fund raising and other revenue. Our enrollment this year is 317 – meaning that we need $1,328,864 in total non-tuition revenue to balance our budget.

Q: Is SJP efficient?

A: Comparing out audited cost with other Minnesota independent schools, their average cost per pupil was $14,072 compared to our $10,905. A national comparison shows an even bigger gap.

Q: How much does Saint John’s Abbey contribute to the total budget?

A: Historically, the monks have been the biggest donors, contributing millions in cash over the years. Contributions from Saint John’s Abbey have been steadily decreasing in recent years and will likely soon decrease to less than 1% of our total budget.

Q: What is the pupil to teacher ratio?

A: We operate on a pupil-to-teacher ratio of 11:1.

Q: What is the total enrollment and how does it compare historically?

A: Our 2005-2006 grades 7-12 enrollment is 325. This is our 2nd largest enrollment in 36 years and our 11th largest enrollment in 148 years. Our trailing average enrollment for the last 20 years is 246. The 100-year average is 215. The decade of the 1960s is the only time period during which enrollment exceeded the most recent five years at SJP.

Q: How do I know that my gift will be used prudently?

A: Every dollar of the budget is scrutinized by the SJP Board of Regents. Controls are in place to assure full audit compliance. We are audited annually by the Certified Public Accounting firm of Larson, Allen, Weishar & Co. We are independently accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and by the Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges.

Q: Where do SJP graduates go to college?

A: Our graduates from the last four years are enrolled at more than 100 different colleges and universities around the world.