A Message From the School Board Chair
Dear TFA Family,
I hope this year’s Annual Report finds you well and filled with anticipation for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. It gives me great pleasure to share with you some remarkable highlights from this ongoing exceptional season at The First Academy.
First and foremost, we have dedicated ourselves to nurturing a Gospel-centered culture and mission, which has proven to be a driving force behind our success. Our renewed focus on these values has paved the way for incredible achievements throughout the 2023-2024 school year thus far.
One of our proudest achievements has been the robust enrollment we have experienced. Our school family has grown, and we are grateful for the trust you have placed in us to provide an exceptional education for your children. We firmly believe that investing in our teachers is key to maintaining the high standards we set for our students, and tuition dollars have been directly channeled toward the growth and development of our incredible teaching staff.
As the School Board Chair at TFA, I am responsible for leading the board in making viability-focused decisions for the next generation of students while ensuring fiduciary oversight of the school’s finances and operations. Collectively, we focus our efforts on advancing the mission, funding the vision, and securing the legacy of our esteemed institution.
In line with this commitment, we look at the goals of our Strategic Plan and set tuition rates on a yearly basis. Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, we must carefully consider the institutional stability of our school in conjunction with revisiting tuition rates. Our primary goal is to attract and retain the best teachers in Florida, our Living Curriculum Influencers. Rest assured, we have taken into account the needs and concerns of our school families during this process.
Additionally, I want to draw attention to the impact of the Florida School Choice Scholarships on tuition. This program has significantly reduced the average tuition for K-12 students. In fact, for the 23-24 school year, the average tuition is $12,200 for a family receiving a Florida School Choice Scholarship, a 33% reduction from the $18,200 average tuition rate. If your family applied for and received a Florida School Choice Scholarship, your effective tuition rate is the same as at TFA nearly ten years ago, and an incoming Kindergarten family is effectively paying less in tuition than Kindergarten families were 15 years ago with the utilization of funds from the Florida School Choice Scholarship.
Furthermore, I am thrilled to announce that enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year has continued on a strong trajectory. We anticipate classes to be at full capacity, with wait pools across all divisions. We deeply value the partnership we share with your family, as our shared mission, vision, and values unite us in raising up the next generation of Christian leaders who will make a positive impact on our world.
On behalf of the entire School Board, I extend our warmest wishes for an abundance of blessings in the coming year. We eagerly anticipate celebrating the many successes of our school alongside you in the months and years to come. I kindly request your support in spreading the word about the incredible opportunity to enroll for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership in building a bright future for our students and our community.
In His Service,
Mr. Clark Keator
School Board Chairman