Dear O’Dowd Families,
We hope this letter finds you hopeful about the future. We are now enthusiastically welcoming students to campus for athletics and co-curricular activities and are ready and prepared to welcome all hybrid students to campus as soon as the Alameda County Public Health Department confirms that our county is in the Red Tier.
As you know, the 2020-2021 school year began with many uncertainties and unknown realities. Despite these uncertainties, we prioritized the health and safety of all of our community members, the continuity of learning for our students, and opportunities for their social-emotional connection and engagement. We know this has not been a perfect reality, and we are committed to a brighter future.
Each year, O’Dowd’s leadership and Board of Regents engages in a thoughtful annual budget process that balances the mission-driven needs of the school, careful spending, and accessibility. We implement financial plans that allow us to support the physical, mental, and financial health of our community members in the best ways possible, in addition to creating momentum by investing in mission-based priorities.
With these commitments in mind, O’Dowd’s Board of Regents has recently approved the tuition rate for the 2021-2022 school year. Tuition for this coming year will be $21,300, a modest increase of 1.96%, plus the regular enrollment deposit of $900 for returning students and $1,100 for new students. This represents the lowest percentage increase in tuition in a decade.
Our decision to increase tuition, however modestly, is not something we take lightly. The tuition increase reflects our recognition of the challenges of the current year, particularly for our students whose experience connecting at O’Dowd has been interrupted by the pandemic. At the same time, this increase ensures that we move forward, continuing to make investments in teacher recruitment and retention as well as student programming.
As we look ahead, we hope that a sense of normalcy will return, and we know that Covid-related challenges are not yet behind us. Because we know many families will continue to require additional assistance, the Board has also approved additional tuition assistance with the intention of keeping current students enrolled at O’Dowd.
Mindful of Pope Francis’ call for solidarity in these times, we thank you for the many ways you support our Catholic school, particularly in this year that has required special resilience from our community. We are grateful for your continued partnership as we seek to build a culture here at O’Dowd that sees and serves every student, enabling them to build a more just, joyful, and sustainable world.
Best,
