Knights News

After review and consultation with the Finance Council, Parish Council and School Advisory Board the 2025-2026 tuition rates have been finalized and will result in an increase of $325 per student for Parishioners and $650 per student for Non-Parishioners.  This averages out to a 5% overall increase.

In recent years we have implemented several tactics to assist families with the cost of private school tuition and below is a summary of items taken into consideration when setting this upcoming year's tuition rates.

• As you may recall, we indicated that we may have to raise tuition by 7.5% last year to pay for the HVAC project and expected inflation.  Since that time the project has been completed and interest rates have improved and only a 5% increase is needed to cover the additional loan payments and general inflation.

• Tuition is set each year based on a break-even analysis.  As part of this process, we analyze projected enrollment, calculate the projected costs to operate and maintain the school and take into consideration other support, such as fundraising and donations, to arrive at tuition rates.  The following factors are taken into consideration when assessing the cost of operating the school.

  • The cost to operate the school includes, the direct cost to educate a child (teachers, instructional supplies, etc..), plus costs associated with debt payments and needed repairs, maintenance and capital projects.

  • The cost to operate the school, does not include support provided by the Parish, such as administrative support and tuition assistance.  These costs are subsidized by the larger Parish community.

  • Certain costs are also subsidized by the PTO and other fundraising activities to further limit the costs to families.

• Our tuition structure is based on a tiered system, which provides substantial discounts for larger families in order to reduce the financial sacrifices as family size increases.

  • For families with more than 1 child, the cost per student exceeds the tuition per student.  This uncovered cost is largely subsidized by the parish and the tiered family tuition system.

• For Non-Parishioner families, 2025-2026 will be the last year that we provide multi-child discounts, as these discounts have historically been subsidized by the parish and its parishioners.  Beginning in 2026-2027, non-parishioner tuition will be based on a per student rate rather than a per family rate.

If your family is in need of financial assistance, please visit www.ceflou.org to complete the financial aid application.  If you have already completed this application and feel you need to file an appeal, please reach out to Terri Hayes, Business Manager, at thayes@stmichaellouisville.org.

Also, at St. Michael School we support our families through life's unexpected challenges.  If your family is able to support families facing hardships, like medical bills, job loss or the loss of a loved one, please consider making a donation to the new Tuition Assistance Fund by visiting St. Michael Tuition Assistance Fund.  You donations matter and any amount you can give helps us provide support to those families who may not be able to afford the full cost of Tuition.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our School and Parish community and the sacrifices you and your families are making to provide your children with the best Catholic education possible.