MKA is an independent school, which means that it has not been formed
by a school district or government agency to serve the public of a
particular geographic area. It has been privately formed to educate its
carefully selected student body. Independent schools design their own
programs and are normally independent from state or federal funding. In
contrast to public schools, independent (or private) schools have to
rely financially on tuition income, endowment income, and annual
contributions, rather than tax dollars
Independent schools are expensive - especially one like MKA that
maintains small class sizes on three separate campuses. In line with
its peers, MKA charges tuition that covers approximately 89 percent of
the cost of educating each student. To help bridge the gap between
tuition revenue and operating expenses, MKA depends on a voluntary Annual Giving Program. Operating
expenses consist primarily of faculty salaries and benefits, the
expenses of maintaining and improving the physical plant, the costs of
educational materials, and MKA's financial aid program.
Gifts to MKA from parents, alumni, past parents, grandparents, faculty,
staff, friends, and foundations all make up Annual Giving, and they are
the reason MKA remains a truly remarkable school.
