Principal Announces New Lower Tuition in 2019

BY RICK HAASE

WESTLAKE -- In today’s world of increasing costs, St. Paul Westlake School Principal Jeremy Louden has announced the school will offer a new lower tuition for K-8 students beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

St. Paul Westlake is the city’s oldest independent preparatory school for students in grades Pre-K-8.

“We are excited to announce a brand new tuition structure that sets St. Paul apart, increases our ability to be more competitive with other schools in the area, but most importantly, allows for the excellent education that our teachers and staff provide to be accessible to more families in Northeast Ohio.”

The annual tuition at St. Paul Westlake is currently $6,950 per year for students in grades K-8. Effective with the start of the 2019-2020 school year, the new tuition will be $4,995, Louden said.

The new, lower comprehensive tuition will include all other fees and costs typically associated with attending school.

“Bibles, Hymnals, P.E. Uniforms, Graduation Fees, Field Trips and other fees will now all be included in the lower tuition,” according to Louden. “The goal is to make things as simple as possible when it comes to covering costs.”

Louden said the cost of school supplies will also be included in the new tuition structure.

“No more fighting through crowds or running back and forth to Marc’s or Walmart,” said Louden. “It will all be taken care of for our families. Things like pencils, pens, markers, binders, and anything else that would be found on a school supply list will be sitting here on day one of the school year waiting for our students to arrive. This is just one of the many ways we look to improve upon our already exceptional level of customer service we provide to our school families.”

Additionally, another change is coming to St. Paul Westlake in 2019-2020.

“We will be adding a Pre-Kindergarten class for three-year-olds,” Louden said. “This will be a full-day program. We know there’s a great need out there for such an option. We want to provide an appropriate solution for families.”

Louden explained that the school is celebrating its 160th anniversary during this school year.

“We are taking bold and progressive steps to market our school to the surrounding area,” he said.

The first steps in that regard were the hiring of the school’s first Director of Admissions and Marketing earlier this year, combined with developing and implementing a new brand, logo and tagline.

“We’re really excited by all these new initiatives,” Louden said. “It’s a totally new and different St. Paul Westlake. We’re looking for ways to find new families to join our community in an environment that is Christ-Centered, Compassionate and Cutting-Edge.

Louden, 34, became the new St. Paul Westlake Principal on July 2 after 10 years as a Fine Arts Director, Championship Band Director and Varsity Basketball Coach in Houston. The move was a return to home and family for Louden, who grew up in Cleveland’s West Park area.

“It was an easy move to make. I knew of the rich history of St. Paul Westlake. As we continue forward, we will respect and build upon that history, all the while embracing change and spreading the word about all this great school has to offer.”