Page 3 - The LP Annual Report 2015

Phone: (617) 266-8427 Fax: (617) 266-3543 107 Marlborough Street Boston, MA 02116
August 24, 2015
Dear Friends:
Ours is a remarkable community in so many ways—hard to describe to others in a fashion that does it justice, and even hard at times to fully understand.
How is it that we have by far the lowest tuition of comparable schools (and didn’t raise tuition this year at all); have faculty salaries in the top 10% for our cohort of schools
in the state; have a scholarship program that is competitive with 'richer’ schools as
a percentage of budget; and ofer an outstanding program that does not skimp on material or human resources in support of our mission?
The question may be puzzling, but the answer is relatively simple. We 'pull this rabbit from the hat’ year after year because you, and other members of this community, make it possible through your amazing generosity to the Annual Fund. That’s it, plain and simple. No black cloaks, magic wands or "abracadabra". Just generosity—from the hundreds of people whose names are listed in the report that follows.
The data speaks to the impressive immensity of this community’s achievement.
• The median amount raised per student for all elementary schools reporting to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) for 2014 was $1,117. At The Learning Project, it was $2,599—more than double.
• The average participation rate for alumni giving to Annual Fund is 6% among all elementary schools; at The LP, it was 16%. The same igure for alumni parents nationally is 10%; at The LP, the igure was 17%.
• Staf and Board each gave at a participation rate of 100%, which is comparable to the national participation rates, and 95% of current LP parents gave this year, compared to 77% of parents nationally.
Why do we do better than so many other schools? It certainly isn’t because we are fancier or serving a wealthier population. On the contrary, simplicity and the wide diversity of our school community are hallmarks of who we are. The essential reason we do better is because of the ierce devotion and loyal commitment that so many individuals feel toward this ‘hard to describe’ and ‘one of a kind’ little school.
Last year, our Annual Fund raised over $304,000—a sum of money nothing short of sensational!
Thank you so much for helping us achieve that remarkable target.
Jim Duane ’94P, ’96P, ‘99P Chair, Board of Trustees
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