The vision of Genesis Prep Academy includes a commitment “to provide a high quality, affordable educational experience built upon a biblical worldview and the basic tenets of the Christian faith.” Without any government funding, the school relies primarily on tuition income to sustain the quality of its programs and facilities. While the school’s board of directors realizes that “affordability” varies from family to family, it is actively working to become accessible to a growing number of students in the North Kootenai County region.
One way this occurs is through developing both individual and corporate partnerships. These Legacy Partners show their support through financial donations or a sharing of their expertise or products. Such donations form the foundation of our “Grant & Aid" program, where families may receive help in meeting their tuition costs.
A second way this occurs is through offering a variety of discounts, including one for families of multiple children, so that our larger families do not feel disqualified by their sheer size. In addition, we offer a church staff award of 50% discount for families whose primary income earner is in full-time Christian ministry. We feel this is one practical way to honor those who are selflessly caring for the needs of God’s people.
Other indirect ways that the school is currently at work to promote an affordable tuition rate include its support of legislation that would offer private school families in Idaho a tax credit of several hundred dollars.
Finally, the Genesis board embraces a tuition philosophy that believes in annual increases which are minimal and predictable (e.g. 1-3%). These increases, consistent with cost-of-living ratios, significantly reduce the likelihood of occasional, larger ones that would come as a surprise (e.g. 7% or more). Not only does such an approach reflect good stewardship principles, it also helps our families eliminate guesswork in establishing long range goals for their children’s education. Over the past four school years such a commitment has been reflected in the average of annual rate increases for our elementary (2.8%) and secondary programs (1.6%).