Posted by Mr. Olsen
If you are a All Saints Catholic Academy family you may be wondering, “Why does All Saints Catholic Academy ask us for more money when we’re already paying tuition?” It’s a great question and the explanation is equally as good.
While All Saints Catholic Academy is primarily a tuition-driven school, tuition covers roughly 65-70 percent of the cost to operate the school and its many programs. The rest comes from donations of all levels. We receive no public or state funding. Did you know that in the past five years, the cost to operate All Saints Catholic Academy has increased by just $7,951? Yet programs have grown; we have all kinds of new technology; our children are safer than ever; and our students are performing multiple years ahead of their peers nationwide. We achieve great results yet the school is extremely frugal and that doesn’t happen by coincidence – it’s hard work! Why do we do it? For you and your students. That is how All Saints Catholic Academy fulfills its mission.
Now to the letter you’ve received. Funds raised by the Annual Fund support two things: Tuition Assistance and The Gap. All Saints Catholic Academy was established to serve families of all walks of life and each year well over $100,000 in tuition assistance is given to families in need so they can enroll their children. This year alone about 50 percent of our students needed support! Our school wouldn’t be what it is without these wonderful families!
But what if your family doesn’t rely on tuition assistance? All All Saints Catholic Academy families receive support from the school in the form of The Gap, which is the difference between the cost of tuition ($6,400) and the real cost to educate you child(ren), totaling around $8,500 per child. Even if your family pays full tuition, the school’s administration and board is working to make up The Gap for your child(ren) throughout the year and with 127 students, that’s a significant undertaking year-after-year.
Some families can make larger donations and we are blown away when we receive them (!), but the majority of donations to the Annual Fund range from $10-$500 with most falling in the lower amounts. What works is when people give what they are comfortably able to. We recognize not all families are in the same position to make a donation. If your family truly can’t swing it, I encourage you to toss that letter in the trash bin and instead say a heartfelt prayer for our school’s fundraising and/or volunteer to lend a hand when the school needs your help. If your family can make a donation, it’s not a cliché to say every dollar counts at this organization!
Here is one final thought: If all of roughly 90 All Saints Catholic Academy families donate just $25 this year to the Annual Fund, that’s $2,250, which is enough to make up the gap for one All Saints Catholic Academy student! That’s a huge success.
Hopefully, by this point, you understand why you are receiving that letter in the mail. Don’t get me wrong, we get it! Tuition isn’t cheap. At the end of the day, we wouldn’t be asking you if we didn’t need it. Your family is unquestionably our first priority, which is why we tell everyone this is our biggest need. As the Annual Fund continues to grow, we look forward to the day when these needs are more quickly met and the school can more easily fundraise for things that expand our programs and facilities. For the past 17 years All Saints Catholic Academy has relied on the generosity of others to grow the school and I invite you to help us in advancing our wonderful school all the more in whatever form you are able.
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