The Selwyn School, Argyle, Texas
On Tuesday, October 6, the Selwyn community comes together for Giving Day, the school’s highest giving priority and the first gift we ask of our community each year. One day, one school, every area of school life. This is what that gift does, and why it matters more than most people realize.
Why doesn’t tuition cover everything?
Like most independent schools working to moderate the cost of enrollment, Selwyn sets tuition below the true cost of educating a student. For the 2026 to 2027 school year, tuition covers approximately 80% of the school’s budget. Your tuition is not tax deductible but your gift to Selwyn is!
Independent schools like Selwyn receive no state funding based on attendance and no dedicated school property tax. Gifts from alumni, parents, family, faculty and friends are what close the gap. Giving Day and the Annual Fund make all the difference!
Where does the money go?
Every dollar, 100%, covers operational expenses that directly affect student education this school year. That includes:
- Academics and the arts. Outdoor education, extracurricular clubs, advanced electives, athletics, and local, regional and state competitions.
- The people who teach here. Recruiting and retaining the best faculty and staff, and the professional development that reaches every student through them.
- Traditions worth keeping. Pumpkin Fest, Grandparent’s Tea, Kite Fest, field trips near and far through the Perspectives program, Color Teams, International Week, and music and art throughout the day.
- Our largest classroom. Maintaining and developing a campus of more than 10 acres that teaches as much as any room on it.
- A place for every family. Need-based financial aid, so a Selwyn education stays within reach of the students who belong here.
Any funds received beyond the goal support and expand student activities, educational programs, capital improvements and staff resources.
What a gift does at every age
In Pre-K, where curiosity begins, gifts fund early literacy tools and sensory exploration materials. In the Lower School, where confidence is built one milestone at a time, they fund reading programs and classroom technology. In the Middle School, where students find their voice, they fund leadership development and the expansion of arts and athletics. In the Upper School, where students prepare for what is next, they fund college counseling and advanced electives.
Does the size of my gift matter?
Every gift counts, and how many families give matters as much as how much. One of Selwyn’s goals is giving from 100% of student families. Strong participation lifts morale across the whole community, and it opens doors: most applications for outside funds and grants ask what share of a school’s community gives. A modest gift from every family can do work that a large gift from a few cannot.
Selwyn does not require families to give, because giving should be voluntary. It asks each family for its Individual Best, the same thing we ask of every student each day.
Giving circles
Give at whatever level is right for your family. Family names are recognized on the donor honor roll on the school website, and individual amounts are always confidential. Families who prefer to give anonymously need only say so.
- Foundations Circle, $150 and above: classroom materials and experiential learning.
- Leadership Circle, $500 and above: clubs, after school activities and athletics, given in honor of Head of School Deb Hof’s 50th year in education.
- Honors Circle, $1,500 and above: electives, field trips and technology.
- Legacy Circle, $3,000 and above: scholarships within every division of the school.
- Golden Horn Society, $5,000 and above: long term planning toward campus expansion.
Each circle carries its own thank-you, from the honor roll and a note from Giving Day leadership to invitations to gatherings through the year. The full list is at selwynschool.org/givingday.
Six ways to give
- Online, by card or bank draft through GiveLively, with a receipt to your inbox.
- Cash or check, made out to Selwyn School and marked Giving Day, dropped at the front office or mailed to 2270 Copper Canyon Road, Argyle, Texas 76226.
- Monthly installments, pledging a total and paying it down by card or bank draft. Paul Mignini, Director of Finance and Operations, sets up the schedule.
- Stock or securities, which can carry a greater tax benefit than the same gift in cash.
- A matching gift from your employer, which grows your gift without costing you more. Ask your HR department.
- Your estate plan. Paul Mignini can talk it through in confidence.
Selwyn is a registered nonprofit, so unlike tuition, Giving Day gifts are tax deductible.
One day, and every day after
Giving Day is October 6, but gifts are gratefully accepted throughout the year. Give whenever and however is best for your family. For questions, email GivingDay@selwynschool.com, or reach Hollie Higgins, Development Coordinator, at HHiggins@selwynschool.com, or Paul Mignini at PMignini@selwynschool.com or 940-382-6771.
Thank you for the many roles you play in the Selwyn community. Growing futures together starts with you.
Give at selwynschool.org/givingday, or directly at secure.givelively.org/donate/selwyn-school/giving-day-2026. Questions go to GivingDay@selwynschool.com.
