2024 – 2025

Tuition – September to June

• K – Fifth Grade: $26,900 (Sibling Discount: $20,200)
• Middle School (Sixth – Eighth Grade): $28,600 (Sibling Discount: $21,500)

Enrollment Fee

At the time of acceptance, a $1,500 enrollment fee is due.  This fee is in addition to the tuition and must be submitted along with the signed contract in order to hold a place for the child in the class. The enrollment fee is non-refundable.

Tuition Payments

Tuition may be paid in ten (10) monthly installments, due on the first of each month. The first payment is due on September 1 and the last payment is due on June 1. If necessary, other arrangements can be made.

Sibling Discount

A 25% sibling discount is available for younger children in the family attending Living Wisdom School.

Scholarships

Partial scholarships are available on the basis of need. Financial documentation is required. Inquire at the school office for the tuition assistance procedure.

Annual Giving Campaign

Living Wisdom School families are expected to help make up the difference between the cost of tuition and the real cost of their child’s education by contributing according to their means to the Annual Giving Campaign. These donations are tax deductible.

Application Process

1. Parents attend an Open House.
2. Parents submit an application, along with school records and any other pertinent information. NOTE: There is no application fee; application is free.
3. Parents meet with the school director.
4. Prospective students meet with the classroom teacher.
5. Kindergarten students participate in a small group visit.
6. First – eighth grade students come in for a shadow morning or day.
7. The school director may connect with the applicant’s current teacher.
8. Letters of acceptance go out in March.

Application Process — Step by Step

Parents can begin to familiarize themselves with the school by reviewing the website and watching the school practices videos.

1. Parents attend an Open House or Information Meeting.
   Call school for an updated schedule.
2. Parents submit an application, along with school records and any other pertinent information. NOTE: There is no application fee; application is free.
3. Parents meet with the School Director.
4. Prospective students meet with the classroom teacher.
5. Kindergarten students participate in a small group visit.
6. First – eighth grade students come in for a shadow morning or day.
7. The School Director talks to the student’s current teacher.
8. Letters of acceptance go out in March.

We do require parents to review the LWS website and view the school practices before coming to an Open House or Informational Meeting. This makes a more in-depth, informative discussion possible and will help you decide if the unique LWS educational methods are what you want for your child.

LWS Application Form NOTE: Application is FREE.

Living Wisdom High School Admissions Page

Help More Children Find Joy —

• In Learning

• With Others

• In Themselves

Teachers & Staff

LWS is a nonprofit. Our largest expense is compensating the wonderful teachers and staff who make the school possible. For all of us, the unique Education for Life philosophy is a mission to which we have dedicated our lives. We receive salaries that are roughly 70 percent of the average for teachers and staff in this area’s public and private schools. Yet, because of our low student-teacher ratio, tuition covers just 80 percent of total expenses. So we must rely on yearly donations to cover the rest.

Scholarships

LWS teaches children to interact, respect, and engage with people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. This requires that LWS have a student population of children with diverse ethnic backgrounds, academic abilities, and economic levels. We give scholarships to students who would otherwise be unable to afford our tuition. How many scholarships we are able to give depends entirely on the donations we receive.

Internships

We at Living Wisdom School have a vision of offering these teaching to new and existing schools everywhere, so that children can begin benefitting from them everywhere. This broad outreach requires that we train teachers in the Education for Life principles and offer them opportunities to gain skills through their own, direct experience. Our school trains interns who work under the guidance of experienced Living Wisdom teachers. The number of interns we are able to accept depends entirely on donations earmarked to fund this effort.

New Campus

The number of students we are able to accept is limited by the size of our school building. Our classes fill quickly, and have a waiting list each year. Our long-term vision is for a much larger school that includes the high school grades. Naturally, this will require a much larger campus. To accomplish this goal, we will need to purchase a location, or secure a large enough endowment fund so that we can securely sign a long-term lease.

This is, obviously, a long-term quest that will require major funding. If you, or a foundation you work for, would be like to take part in this effort, please contact us (see below). Our children’s and their children’s lives will benefit greatly from having Education for Life spread through society.

A larger campus will enable many more children to benefit from our proven methods of helping children achieve success in academics and in life. And a larger school will give parents and educators a more visible example, and hope that a truly uplifting education for children is possible. Last, but not least, it will enable us to train teachers who can carry this inspiring system elsewhere.

Thank You

If you would like to discuss opportunities to help in any of these areas, please contact us directly at the school: 650-462-8150. Thank you!

Helen Purcell, School Director

Eric Munro, Development Officer

Donations by check can be made out to “Living Wisdom School” and sent to the school at: 456 College Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Thank you.

Living Wisdom School is a tax-exempt corporation organized under Internal Revenue Section 501 (c) (3). Your contribution is tax-deductible.