As we look forward to our Auction and this year’s Paddle Bid devoted to tuition assistance, I am excited that we will be able to broaden the opportunity for more families to gain some financial assistance in paying tuition next year.

The Maybelle Clark MacDonald Fund has stipulated that their matching funds will only go toward tuition assistance.  This is a unique situation this year. We are drawing on our parents’ sense of stewardship to help broaden access to tuition assistance, and to consider asking for tuition assistance no matter how small or great the request.

In addition, another donor, Mr. Joe Weston, will match dollar for dollar grants to St. Clare Church up to $3,500 towards tuition assistance.   Parishioners who are not school parents/guardians are asked to join in matching this gift.  Now we have an opportunity to grow every $100 gift to $300!  We are also inviting those outside the St. Clare community to contribute to tuition assistance through the church.

Does this benefit every single child like new desks and chairs might?  Yes, but in a much different way.  We enjoy a very happy, supportive community.  You have kids here who help create the Christian atmosphere in our school which directly influences your child.  If providing tuition assistance helps us maintain that level of positive community, centered on living the Gospel, than yes, all of our children directly benefit from tuition assistance.  Whatever you can do to help match these funds IS a gift to our school.

Here’s how tuition assistance works -

1. Parents request a F.A.C.T.S. application form through the office.  Only Patty and I are privy to who has applied for tuition assistance.  When F.A.C.T.S. provides a summary report to the school, all names are kept absolutely confidential.  Information is blotted out so that the Finance Committee of the SAC cannot figure out in any way what family is being reviewed.  Confidentiality is essential in order for people to feel free to apply.

2. Shortly after the deadline for submitting tuition assistance applications to F.A.C.T.S. has been reached, I will be able to go on-line (password protected) to access their report for St. Clare School.  I hold these results until the Archdiocese has reviewed St. Clare families.

3. Given the pool of funds available through the CEEF Fund (Catholic Education Endowment Fund), Michelle Braulick of the Dept. of Catholic Schools, notifies each principal of the funds allocated to our school for tuition assistance.

4. I then call a meeting of the Finance Committee of the SAC and blot out all family names and non-financial personal information on the reports from F.A.C.T.S.

5. The Finance Committee reviews the reports and the overall needs of our parents and allocates the Adopt-A-Students funds, and now the Paddle Bid tuition assistance money.

6.    I send a letter to the families who have applied and notify them of the tuition assistance grants.

Depending on the amount of money we are able to generate through this matching gift and all those who contribute to tuition assistance, we will most likely place in a designated account a portion of the total amount raised in order to have comparable funds available in the following years.  We are very anxious to serve our current parents and hope that this letter is received with our encouragement to call Patty or myself to have an application form ready for you to pick up, have sent home with your child, or mailed to your residence.

Raise those paddles high!  I’ll gladly join you!

Previous Page Next Page