Affording River Valley Waldorf School
River Valley Waldorf School tuition is one of the most competitive in the region. In order to make a River Valley Waldorf education even more accessible, we offer financial aid as well as monthly payment plans. Approximately 50% of River Valley families receive financial aid. Financial aid is available for families with demonstrated financial need, as determined by the information you provide the School and Student Services (SSS), including a copy of your most recent 1040 Federal Tax Return.
Understandably, many families wish to know what their potential aid package might look like before filling out their SSS application. Because the process is so thorough and depends on many financial factors that go beyond simple income and household size, we cannot predict what your family’s financial aid package will look like before processing your application.
In order to give potential applicants an idea of the range of possible financial aid awards, we are sharing three sample packages that were awarded for the 2023-24 school year.
Diversity & Accessibility
At River Valley Waldorf, we believe diversity makes us better, smarter, and stronger. River Valley Waldorf School is committed to providing an accessible and affordable Waldorf education to its students. Financial assistance is granted on the basis of need, and requests for financial aid have no impact on admission decisions.
Our Financial Aid Committee considers each family’s ability to pay alongside the availability of financial aid funds from River Valley Waldorf School.
Financial Aid Process
The Financial Aid application for the 2025/26 school year is currently open as of 12/1/24. The deadline for new and returning students to apply for financial aid is February 15, 2025. It may happen that more students apply for financial aid than we are able to assist. Priority for financial aid is given to returning families, but after the February 15 deadline, newly enrolled families will be awarded available assistance.
Financial aid is available to eligible students who attend 5 days a week in Early Childhood and in grades 1 through 8.
Step 1: Visit the SSS Family Portal and create your account. If you applied for financial aid last year, log into the Family Portal using the same email address and password.
Step 2: Submit a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) for Academic Year 2024-25 as soon as possible. River Valley Waldorf’s code is 1712.
Step 3: Upload and submit last year’s 1040 Federal Tax Return, including all W2s and appropriate schedules. We also request that you submit this year’s 1040 Federal Tax Return once it’s available.
Resources
Parents’ Financial Statement Instructions and Workbook
Most Helpful Tax Forms for Completing your PFS
SSS Step-by-Step Guide
SSS General Resources
Non-Custodial Parent Waiver
If you have any questions, please reach out to admissions@rivervalleyschool.org or (610) 982-5606.
2025-2026 Tuition
Early Childhood
- An application fee of $50.00 may apply
- EC Commitment Materials Fee (non-refundable) – $455
- Children 5-years old by June 1st must be enrolled in five full or five half days
Half Day: 8:30 am–12:30 pm
3-Day – $7,613
5-Day – $12,744
Full-Day: 8:30 am–3:15 pm
3-Day – $10,505
5-Day – $14,827
Grade School
- An application fee of $50.00 may apply
- Grades Commitment Materials Fee (non-refundable) – $630
- Students must be 6-years old by June 1st to be eligible for 1st grade
Grades 1-5 – $17,255
Grades 6-8 – $17,475
Payment Plans
Our Payment Plans allow you the flexibility to pay your tuition in a lump sum, or to spread it across three periodic or ten monthly payments. All families are eligible to enroll in a payment plan. The full Commitment Materials fee is still due at the time of enrollment.
Additional Fees
Tuition Refund Plan Participation in the Tuition Refund Plan (TRP) is required for every student regardless of the payment plan selected. The Tuition Refund Plan premium of $350 will be due with the first tuition payment.
Tuition payments made by credit card are subject to a handling fee through the tuition management system. There is a $30 fee for a returned payment. Any exceptions to the regular payment plans or handling of overdue balances must be put in writing and signed by the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the business manager. Reports will not be released from the school on accounts with an overdue balance.
Instrument Commitment: Beginning in 3rd grade as part of the curriculum, children are expected to take either group or individual instrumental music lessons, which may or may not be available onsite at the school. Families with students in grades 3-8 should prepare to budget for instrument rental and lessons.
Field Trip Fees: When overnight trips are scheduled by the class teacher, families are asked to pay 25% of the total per pupil cost of the trip. These trips may include but are not limited to the 3rd/4th grade Farm Trip, 6th grade Camp Onas Trip, and the 8th Grade Capstone Trip. Payment plans for these field trip fees are available by request.
Discounts
Sibling Discount The school offers a sibling discount of 7.5% off the total tuition for the second and 15% for the third child and 30% for the fourth and 50% each subsequent child enrolled at the school. You will be charged full payment for the highest tuition rate and receive the discount on the lesser tuition(s). No discounts are applied to fees.
Three Pillars
At River Valley Waldorf School, community is deeply cherished and upheld through the collaborative efforts of three essential pillars: the Faculty & Administration, the Board of Trustees, and the Parent Council. The Faculty & Administration serve as the guiding force behind the school's educational vision and day-to-day operations. They are responsible for creating a nurturing and enriching learning environment, implementing Waldorf pedagogy, and supporting the holistic development of every student. The Board of Trustees plays a vital role in ensuring the long-term sustainability and strategic direction of the school. They provide oversight, governance, and financial stewardship, working closely with the administration to make informed decisions that uphold the school's mission and values. Lastly, the Parent Council serves as a vital link between the school and its families, fostering a sense of belonging and active engagement within the community. They support various initiatives, organize events, and facilitate communication, promoting a collaborative partnership between parents, faculty, and staff for the benefit of all students. Together, these three pillars form a strong foundation for the River Valley Waldorf School, driving its growth, resilience, and unwavering commitment to holistic education.
The Parent Council is a body of parents invested in working with the governing bodies of the school. This group of parents is composed of representatives from each class. They work to support the Faculty and Administration pillars by building an active community of volunteers brought together for a common purpose which enriches the experience of school life for our children and our families.
The Pedagogical Pillar is composed of the Pedagogical Chair, Pedagogical Leadership Group, and full faculty. The Pedagogical Chair in conjunction with the Head of School is responsible for the long term pedagogical visioning and development of programming and faculty management and organization, as well as overseeing admissions practices to bring pedagogical insight to all admissions decisions.
The Parent Council consists of ideally two parent representatives from each grade level as core members. The Parent Council coordinates the school’s annual Winter Fair and Mayfaire, communicates volunteer needs to the full parent community, maintains close-knit relationships with the Board and Head of School.
All stakeholders are responsible for supporting the mission of River Valley Waldorf School. Decisions are made with appropriate stakeholder consultation and collaboration.
The Three Pillars meet at least once annually and are represented by the faculty, the Board of Trustees, administrative staff and Parent Council representatives. The annual meeting addresses school visioning, planning and communication.
Governance Structure
River Valley Waldorf School utilizes a governance model that includes a Board of Trustees, Head of School, and Pedagogical Leadership Group. Both the Board of Trustees and Pedagogical Leadership Group utilize consensus decision making. Utilizing consensus decision-making fosters an inclusive and collaborative form of governance by ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. Through this process, diverse perspectives are considered, leading to more holistic and well-rounded outcomes that reflect the collective wisdom of the group. By prioritizing cooperation and compromise over majority rule, consensus decision-making promotes a sense of ownership and commitment among participants, ultimately strengthening community cohesion and resilience.
The Head of School plays a pivotal role as a bridge between the three pillars of the River Valley Waldorf School community, serving as a cornerstone for effective communication and mutual support. As the chief executive officer, they bear the responsibility of upholding the school's overarching vision and executing its mission with unwavering dedication. In addition to managing faculty and staff, the Head of School oversees the day-to-day operations, ensuring the smooth functioning of the institution. They also bear the crucial responsibility of safeguarding the financial health of the school as directed by the Board of Trustees, implementing strategic initiatives to sustain its growth and vitality for years to come.
The Board of Trustees (BOT) carries the weighty responsibility of stewardship for the past, present, and future generations of the school community. Comprising dedicated individuals including parents, faculty, and friends of the school, the board is entrusted with the vital task of ensuring the school's enduring success through strategic long-range planning, meticulous oversight of administrative affairs, and prudent management of fiscal and legal considerations. Their commitment to preserving the school's values and fostering its growth exemplifies their dedication to serving as custodians of its legacy and aspirations. The Head of School (HOS) carries out the policies established by the Board of Trustees. Within these guidelines, the Head of School is accountable for board relationships, organization, planning and analysis, fundraising, academics, program & service support, personnel, finance, institutional image, environment, constituent relations, and enrollment & recruitment.
The Pedagogical Leadership Group (PLG) carries out the pedagogical management of the school, as dictated by the faculty approved mandate. Pedagogy comprises all activities pertaining to the school’s programs and the interaction with students, including classroom teaching, curricular and extracurricular activities, student social events, and class trips. The PLG is chaired by the Pedagogical Chair who provides support and leadership to the faculty, working in service of the faculty through collaborative leadership. The Pedagogical Chair works closely with the Faculty, Administration, and the Head of School to plan and implement the pedagogical and administrative objectives of the school community.
The Board of Trustees and full faculty regularly utilize a committee structure to facilitate work and decision-making. While adhering to legal requirements and general best practices of independent schools, River Valley Waldorf School practices a balance of consensus decision making and mandate committee structure. The decision making authority of committees are dictated by mandates. The assignment of a mandate allocates responsibility for a particular management task. Decisions made by committees are supported by the mandate assigning group and reviewed by the Head of School for alignment with the school’s mission, vision, and core values.
The Board of Trustees has the ultimate authority and responsibility for River Valley Waldorf School, including legal responsibility, fiscal responsibility, and long-range planning. The Board of Trustees has delegated authority to administer programs and manage the day-to-day operations of the school to the Head of School. The Head of School reports to the Board of Trustees and is supported by the Pedagogical Chair, Director of Operations, Business Administrator, Enrollment Coordinator, and Advancement Director. The Head of School’s main responsibilities are board relationships, management of the organization and personnel, planning and analysis of operations and finance, fundraising, pedagogy and academic programming, institutional image, the school environment, constituent relations, and enrollment and recruitment of students.
Board of Trustees' Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commitments
River Valley Waldorf School is committed to creating an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our school community, The Waldorf movement emphasizes the importance of recognizing the virtue in each human; River Valley strives to maintain an environment that values and supports its members across all intersections of their identities. It is our goal to be accountable and to meet challenges with courage and grace.
Along with the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, we recognize that the Waldorf movement’s promise of honoring the inherent beauty and integrity of each individual has sometimes fallen short for historically marginalized students and community members. River Valley Waldorf School recognizes that Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education (1919), provided many profound insights that uphold the value and dignity of each human being and form the foundation of our organization's history and worldview. However, he also made statements containing harmful assertions about race and ethnicity. Racism, whether explicit or implicit, is fundamentally opposed to the core principles of Waldorf education.
River Valley Waldorf School’s Board of Trustees is dedicated to improving equity and strengthening anti-bias and anti-racist (ABAR) practices and makes the following commitments:
1. To hire Heads of School who prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion work and practices;
2. To verify that the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are applied to programming, practices, and policies;
3. To ask questions about school culture and climate and hold the school accountable to its goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion;
4. To develop policies that promote diversity, minimize inequities, and increase inclusion;
5. To allocate resources to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion can be moved forward at River Valley Waldorf School; and
6. To ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion centered goals are a key part of the school’s long term strategic planning.
7. To deepen learning, development, and self-study in the realm of diversity, equity, inclusion, and to strive to identify bias in policy or interpersonal dynamics.
© River Valley Waldorf School