February 2, 2021

Dear Rochambeau Families, To say that these past 12 months has been “unprecedented” would surely be an understatement. I am grateful for your support as our school community has navigated these uncharted routes together.  As we will soon be entering the final trimester of this school year, the purpose of my letter today is to look ahead to our next school year together.   In recent weeks, my team and I have been working closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure a safe return to our campuses for all our students. Earlier today you should have received a message from our Proviseur Xavier Jacquenet with the comprehensive return to campus plan. We have also been assessing our school’s financial picture and plan for next year’s student tuition. In these difficult times, we are mindful that each of our school’s families have faced challenges and uncertainties, each in different ways - from personal financial hardship, to family health challenges, to struggles in adapting to distance learning instruction, and others. Recognizing these factors, the Board and I have worked to minimize the level of tuition increase while maintaining our long-term financial stability.  Therefore, for the year ahead, the Board of Trustees has approved a minimal 1% increase of tuition for all students at all levels for 2021-22. This marks a significant change from the originally planned 5% increase that had been included in our five-year financial plan. This reduction is aimed at helping our community in the current circumstances. We believe this step strikes the right balance between financial prudence and responsibility and the current difficulties in our community.

Key points for your attention:

Equitable Impact: Next year’s 1% tuition increase will be applied to all levels equally, from the current PS classes through Terminale. Tuition Deposit: Starting this year, what was previously a “Registration Fee” will now be added to the tuition and considered a Tuition Deposit towards your child’s tuition. This is not a supplemental fee. The Tuition Deposit amount remains $650 per student. Re-enrollment for 2021-2022: This year’s re-enrollment will take place from February 10th until March 1st. Families confirm re-enrollment by completing their enrollment contract and submitting the Tuition Deposit of $650 per student. Late Re-enrollment: After March 1st, students will only be accepted based on space availability. From that date forward, in addition to the $650 tuition deposit, a non-refundable late enrollment fee of $850 will be due for each student.   Extended Period of Refund Eligibility: Due to the exceptional circumstances we all face, we are offering an extended refund period until April 1st. By extending this refund period by an additional 30 days, we hope to offer greater flexibility to families.  Loyalty Credits: We are both affirmed and grateful that many families choose our school for their children with a long-term ambition in mind. In recognition of this commitment, we are continuing the loyalty credit that was first offered last year. Students who have been enrolled at Rochambeau for 6 consecutive years and do not receive any financial subsidy will receive a tuition credit of $650.

One School, Many Programs

While Rochambeau is firmly rooted in the pedagogy and philosophy of French education, our academic offering to our students continues to expand and become enhanced. Currently, all students benefit from our dual accreditation by the French Ministry of Education and AIMS (Association of Independent Schools for Maryland and DC). Additionally, some students find their academic needs best met through specialty programs like our Immersion programs for young students, an International Section for middle school students seeking different options, and dual diploma option for high schoolers to receive their French Baccalaureate as well as the Maryland State High School diploma. In addition, starting in the 2021-2022 school year, we plan to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for 11th graders.  There are not additional fees associated with these optional programs; the same tuition rate applies to all students within their division / grade level.

Financial Stability

In all of our Financial operations, we are committed to being good stewards of your tuition dollars and donations. I want to share with you some of the areas that required our attention and investment this school year: Financial Aid Support: We recognize that the current health crisis and economic condition has caused financial hardship for some of our families. We want to offer the support needed so your children's education may continue without interruption. In addition to our regular Financial Aid program, the Hardship Financial Aid Fund was established last summer and has provided support to 50 students. Campus Operational Expenses: While some planned improvement projects have been postponed, others projects required our immediate attention. Maintaining a safe and healthy campus environment has required significant investments in additional faculty and personnel, cleaning and sanitizing equipment, modifying existing class spaces and constructing new classroom locations, upgrading the air filtration system in all classrooms, and more. In addition, wherever feasible, we have implemented significant cost savings and operational efficiencies measures.  Technology Investments: Longer term IT projects have been accelerated including new interactive display boards, projectors, 360 web cameras, multi-directional microphones, and more. New Chromebooks will be issued this month to our middle schoolers and our iPad program will be expanded to include our younger students. These investments are helping to meet short term needs and are also a worthwhile investment in our longer term goals for our school. Campus Expansion Project: We continue to work towards the opening of a new campus for our preschool and elementary students in 2022. We recognize that this project holds great promise and opportunity for the long-term future of our school.

Our commitment

Thank you for choosing Rochambeau for your children. The entire faculty and staff is honored and proud to continue to provide them with the best educational opportunities and preparation for their future. We look forward to the 2021-2022 school year with great optimism.

Kind regards Hélène Fabre, Executive Director