Summit Schools is a private non-parochial business, and does not have additional resources to backfill our expenses. Summit dramatically decreased tuition during the pandemic to make Summit more accessible for families and to remain open, and now the school needs to move tuition closer to what it actually costs to educate a Summit student, which is approximately $14,500. Summit’s operating costs have increased significantly over the past two years. On average, tuition has only covered around 60% of the operating expenses for the last seven years.
In addition to phasing out fundraising for year-to-year operations for the first time since opening 25 years ago, Summit needed to set a salary scale for teachers that is more in line with the public school’s salary scales. Private school teachers make notably less money than public teachers because there are limited funding sources. The salary-scale adjustment that Summit’s Board of Trustees has approved is an important step to retaining valuable staff and attracting the best candidates in the future, especially at a time when there is a national teacher shortage.
Submitting volunteer hours is now done completely online. Login to Summit’s FACTS Family Portal. Click on Family>Family Home. Under the drop-down menu at the top, select the person who completed the volunteer hours. Then click ‘Add’ and complete the information. Under ‘Description’, use the drop down menu to select the task that you completed. You may use the ‘Note’ box to add any notes that you feel necessary. You DO NOT need to complete the ‘Verified By’ box.
Attention volunteer grandparents: parents will have to submit grandparent volunteer hours under a parent’s name at this time; the system will not allow grandparents to enter volunteer hours under their own name.
Please note that it’s the family’s responsibility to accrue and enter volunteer hours in FACTS. Summit staff will not enter volunteer hours or send out personal reminders. Building volunteers are asked to sign in at the main office and wear a visitor lanyard so we know who is in the building, especially in case of an emergency, but that information is not input into FACTS.
Fall volunteer hours are due to be entered into the FACTS Family Portal by November 10, 2023. Summit will run a report of the first trimester volunteer hours the week of November 13, and families who have not volunteered 8 hours during the fall trimester will be charged $167 or will be prorated accordingly. Winter volunteer hours are due to be entered in the FACTS Family Portal by February 23, 2024. Spring volunteer hours are due to be entered in the FACTS Family Portal by May 17, 2024.
Summit’s school hours are 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Extended Daycare is available from 7:15-8:20 a.m., and 3:30-5:30 p.m.
- NO REFUNDS will be issued after May 17, 2024 but a credit will be allotted to the family’s account to be used during Summit’s 2024 summer camps. The exception is camps canceled by Summit Schools due to insufficient enrollment, which will receive a full refund.
- Notice of canceled camps (due to insufficient enrollment) will be sent to the e-mail provided during registration.
- June camps will be confirmed May 17, 2024.
- July camps will be confirmed June 14, 2024.
- Waitlists are held until enough registrations have been collected to open an additional section(s) and staffing has been secured.
- Students registered by May 17, 2024 will receive a free Summit Summer Camps T-shirt. Students registered after that date will receive a T-shirt while supplies last.
Summit offers financial aid from two pools: income-based and special case-based. Financial Aid online applications are considered in each pool. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, and financial aid for 2024-25 is still available. We encourage you to apply early.
Income-Based Financial Aid:
Summit, together with Scattergood Friends School, is part of the Independent School Association of Eastern Iowa School Tuition Organization, Inc. (EISTO). Our STO enables us to provide funding to eligible families whose income during the previous calendar year (determined by most recently completed tax information) does not exceed an amount equal to four times the most recently published federal poverty guidelines so that their children can attend Summit. This can vary each year.
2024 STO qualifying calculations are as follows:
Number in household Fed. Poverty Level 400% poverty level
| 2 in household | $20,440 | $81,760 |
| 3 | $25,820 | $103,280 |
| 4 | $31,200 | $124,800 |
| 5 | $36,580 | $146,320 |
| 6 | $41,960 | $167,840 |
| 7 | $47,340 | $189,360 |
| 8 | $52,720 | $210,880 |
The EISTO is a 501(c)3 organization formed to help qualifying families who seek a private education for their children that otherwise may be financially out of reach. As such, STOs are charitable organizations created to receive cash contributions from individual Iowa tax payers, and then allocate those funds to eligible families who attend accredited non-public schools represented by the STO. The amount of funds an STO is allowed to raise each year is based on the certified enrollments of each school in the STO and determined by the state of Iowa.
Special Case-Based Financial Aid:
Summit recognizes that from time to time, families may experience financial hardships. We try to raise funds specifically for these times. It is never guaranteed that these funds will be available from year to year.
Children will be divided up by ages/grades in all summer camps.
Before and after extended day care for students is available through pre-purchase only. “Drop-ins” will only be accepted if spots are available in accordance with DHS guidelines.
Our registration is an online system: Summit Summer Camp Registration. If you need assistance with registration, please contact Summit Schools: summercamps@summitschools.org or call us at 319-294-2036 and we’d be happy to help.
Unfortunately, we do not have scholarships or financial aid available for Summer Camps.
We carefully select experienced teachers who have strong skills working with children. Some Summit teachers will return to instruct over the summer. Our class sizes are 16 students max to one teacher to ensure quality instruction takes place.
All camps must be paid in full.
Our registration site will only list those classes that are not full. For classes that are full, you will see a waitlist option.
Yes, depending on the type of camp. Most themed camps are offered on a weekly basis. Please see our Summer Camp Guide for more information.
Register students for their fall 2024 grade level.
Upon completion of 8th grade, Summit students have integrated well into both public and private schools. Summit students adapt well in larger environments as they have already experienced what a community of learners looks like and have developed leadership skills as well as a sense of urgency.
Students at Summit grow in an environment that values each learner as a unique individual. Students at Summit are supported as they come to learn how they learn best. Students are taught the skills of self-advocacy, and as a result, are able to find and express their student voice. A core belief at Summit is that the best educational investment a parent can make is one that ensures a lifelong love of learning. That all starts with a strong early education program. Students transferring to Summit love the small class sizes that allow them to find their own unique learning style and to participate in the community more fully.
Summit is an educational environment with rich diversity. We have a history of families from countries outside the US who attend Summit, including families speaking languages other than English in the home. Currently, our students travel from 8 different school districts to attend Summit each day and come to us with all types of gifts and talents. At Summit we value all types of learners and work closely with each student as an individual.