The board of Ardenne Preparatory and Extension High isn’t budging on its decision to increase fees for both schools effective this term, despite parents threatening to withdraw their children from the institution over the hike.

Tensions flared Friday during a meeting at the institution between parents and the board members, with some parents walking out, alleging dishonesty and a lack of transparency surrounding the increases – from $128,000 to $150,000 for the prep school, and from $117,000 to $130,000 for the extension high.

Parents say they only learnt of the increases via email in late December.

“We asked in the board meeting if you guys were going to do a surprise increase and unnu say no, unnu ago talk to the parents first, and then come December, one surprise email come in about increase,” one parent said, adding “So you guys are not operating in good faith by far. This is a church institution. That is quite alarming. You are not keeping your word and then putting the problem on the backs of the parents, like say if the parents don’t come up with the money, it’s our problem.”

She stressed that, as a single mother of three, she cannot afford the increase being levied by the institution.

Her position was supported by several other parents at the meeting, who described the increase as unconscionable, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

“For a 17 per cent increase to be levied on parents after Melissa, in Christmas, I think it is unconscionable for an institution,” one parent said.

The institution has attributed the increase to rising costs associated with teacher salaries, classroom resources, technology and facility maintenance.

“The wage bill is our major budget item. We are aiming to pay them at 83 per cent of public school teachers. We know that in 2023 there was a significant increase in wage for public school teachers and we had to honour that increase. Our teachers are given the same facility as those in public schools. In the summer they still earn even if the children are not here,” said board member Reverend Claude Ellis.

According to Ellis, the institution’s core costs – including staffing, utilities, security and learning materials – outweigh its income.

“At this time I don’t know that we can lower what we propose. I know that naturally people have left because they have choices. We would love for our parents to remain but I know better than that. At the end of the day we have to come to a position and we have to stick to that position and roll with the punches as they come,” Ellis said.

However, one parent at the meeting noted that tuition fees have been raised several times over the past three years on the stated basis of increasing teachers’ salaries, but, she argued, that has not occurred.

“The school fee has been raised several times in the last three years saying that the teachers need to be paid and the teachers have not been, so what guarantee do the parents have that teachers are going to be paid with $150,000? And bear in mind that parents are not only paying $150,000 per term,” she said.

Ellis sought to assure parents that there would be no further increase in tuition fees for August 2026.

A preliminary expenditure report for Ardenne Preparatory and Extension High School, covering the period September to December and seen by this reporter, showed that the institution earned just over $49 million, most of which came from school fees, with a small portion derived from other income.

The school’s largest expense during the period was salaries and related costs, totalling more than $35 million.

Additional spending, amounting to nearly $14 million, went towards repairs and maintenance, cleaning and sanitation, security, utilities such as electricity and water, classroom materials, sports and extracurricular activities, insurance, office expenses, transportation, medical supplies, professional fees and staff development.

The school’s total expenditure exceeded its income, resulting in a net loss of $686,000.

The institution also highlighted the need to rebuild its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system, which a board member said was destroyed by a fire in a section of the school. He noted that repairs would cost between $11 million and $15 million.

However, this claim was disputed by a parent and former member of the institution’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) executive body, who argued that the school was attempting to pass the cost of ICT upgrades on to parents, despite the work being suitable for implementation as a separate project.

“The ICT infrastructure that was put in during the COVID period was not put in properly so they had to revamp that,” the parent said.

“Every parent here is for good ICT infrastructure, but to put it in a school fee and hide it and now to come and … misrepresenting the facts… we as a church school need to state the facts properly,” he said.

Concerns were also raised about the steps being taken by the institution to protect its revenue stream.

“The sustainability of the school for me is a concern. I don’t see an entity surviving without protecting its revenue stream. What I am getting from the leadership of this school is take it or leave it, somebody will come,” said a father of two.

Meanwhile, one angry mother said she will withdraw her child from the institution in response to the increase.

“Since the tuition is $150,000 I am pulling my child,” she said. “This is bullyism, I am not taking it.”

Another father noted that if the challenges with the institution persist, he would consider withdrawing his child.

“I will look beyond it but if I continue to have these challenges, then that’s a possibility. I have no objection to that because it can’t work so,” he said.

“Last year, them say them want money, me just give them. Them want board me buy it. Since year me buy one fan out of my pocket. You have to have process, you can’t disregard the process and think say people ago just support you so,” he added.

Last week, the PTA executive body at the institution resigned with immediate effect, citing unresolved concerns over governance, communication and financial accountability.

READ: Ardenne Prep/Extension PTA executive resigns over school fee dispute