With a student body of 1,017, the cost of maintaining a school such as Westminster is a detailed endeavor. For the 2015-2016 school year, tuition is listed at $14,950 per student, a number that is actually lower than the average cost to educate a student. The actual cost per student is $18,825, a number that is offset by other fees and revenue such as facility rental, parking passes, etc.

Tuition generates roughly 16 million dollars while expenses total nearly 19 million. The notion that “my tuition should cover that” may not be all that accurate.                 

However, there is a price to having a school where programs compete successfully on a national level, has top level Fine Arts  and wildly successful athletic teams such as football and baseball who have regular chances at winning state.

Westminster would not be the place it is without its teachers and coaches. At Westminster about $12,000,000, or 62% of revenue goes to staff salaries and benefits each year. These teachers have families and aspirations of their own, which is why the majority of Westminster’s operating budget goes to supporting them and their well being. They are a huge part of what makes the school what it is.

Other significant financial aspects of WCA include paying off the debt and the ability to pay for Program Expenses. On average, Westminster has budgeted about $3,000,000 that goes to pay off the debt for the Town & Country campus each year. This is in place so that the school can responsibly pay off the debt in smaller chunks of payments.

The school also spends just under $2,000,000 for department budgets each year. This covers supplies for science labs, textbooks, computer equipment in the Hub and classrooms, etc. This also covers the athletic department, professional development programs for teachers and support for other clubs and programs.

The students are gifted with an extraordinary campus and great academic and athletic programs. This in part is  made possible by the money that comes from tuition but it doesn’t come entirely from that source. Fees, donations, and facility rentals help to offset these costs as well.

Perhaps one of the most impactful parts of the WCA budget is the amount allotted for financial aid. This year over $1.5 million will be awarded to 20% of the student body, allowing for our school to maintain a wide range of students from all over the St. Louis region.

This falls in line with a core belief of Westminster Christian Academy, the ability to reach as many students and families in the area, and provide them with a quality Christian education. It is important to note however, that the funding for financial aid does not come from tuition dollars, but rather from donations and school fundraisers.

Lastly, just under $1 million is spent each year on facility expenses. Just to keep the lights on and the air conditioners running in school costs nearly one million dollars. But this money is also spent on repainting the walls, watering the athletic fields, and other landscaping maintenance to keep the campus beautiful. With total expenses coming to near $19 million and total revenue coming close to $16 million – just under $3 million in giving is needed each year to cover the cost of running the school.

Without a breakdown of the budget, students may grow frustrated with the seemingly pointless fees. However, with the knowledge of the daily expenses of Westminster, students will begin to understand that their money is not wasted.