‘Closing in the Gap’ - Urgent Teacher & Staff Team Compensation Support Feb-Aug, 2022

IMPACT:
* 19 person teacher / leadership staff team empowered and honored with increased salary compensation to    continue passionately serving the   children and families that are a part of the Abriendo Camino family.
* 100 students & their families blessed with continuity of critical teacher / student relationships that are infused with the love of Christ.
* Abriendo Camino is blessed with stability and continuity from current school year to next year’s academic start in order to continue to be the answer to parent’s in need of classrooms that fully integrate for their special needs children into high quality specialized Montessori based education and a family that serves in all areas with the love of Christ.

The NEED:
Abriendo Camino needs friends and partners  to come alongside the school with economic support in the amount of $9,500.00 US dollars (RD$ 530,000 pesos) to increase the staff salaries from now until the start of the new school year (February to August 2022).  At the start of the new 2022/23 school year that begins in September 2022, the school plans is to readjust tuition prices so that they will be able to continue covering this much needed increase in salaries so that sustainability is achieved.

Background:
Abriendo Camino’s monthly tuition fee is U$110.00 and a 1x per year registration payment of U$$180.00. These school fees represent the full registration and tuition cost.   Only a small percentage of families can pay the full tuition. (which is of the lowest in the private school market)   In order to make this quality Montessori education available to families with low-income levels  Abriendo Camino employs a scaled payment classification that varies according to the economic possibilities of each family.

Only 22 children pay the full monthly tuition fee, the rest, 78 students, pay only a partial or total subsidy. The huge effort Abriendo Camino makes to provide high quality education shared with the values of the Kingdom of God to families in need results in a monthly income sacrifice of U$2,370.00 which at the end of the school year  represents a total of subsidy equaling U$23,660.00. 

The decision to make high quality education affordable results in teacher and school leadership receiving below average compensation for their work.  The economic crisis caused by the pandemic and increases in the cost of living has made this practice too difficult to continue.  

The Response:

In order to carry the school through the end of the current school year well and guarantee continuity and fair compensation for the amazing teachers and administrators we are seeking support from friends, partners and Kingdom investors in the amount of $9,500 dollars.  This support will empower the school to increase key staff compensation from February to August, 2022 and thus retain key teachers and staff that will be able to continue in the 2022/23 school year.