The following letter from the SHF School Board was sent via the Friday Folder to all families on February 23, 2007.
February 2007
Dear Families of Seven Holy Founders School,
It is the School Board's responsibility to recommend the tuition rate to the Finance Committee. We undertake this task with great seriousness and prayer as choosing a Catholic education is an important decision for us all. We balance the goal of providing an affordable, quality education with the need to meet ever increasing expenses and be financially stable. We attempt to position SHF 'in the middle' when comparing our fees to other parochial schools in South County.
Anticipated tuition rates for the 2007-08 school year are below. Registration and book fees remain the same. The 'up-charge' for full-day Kindergarten has been eliminated. We shall continue the two programs introduced last year in an effort to limit tuition increases.
Children
/ Family |
Tuition
Charged |
Reg.
Fee |
Book
Fee |
TWB |
Total
Paid |
Actual
Cost |
Gap /
Subsidy |
1 |
$3,834 |
85 |
150 |
130 |
4,199 |
4,820 |
621 |
2 |
$5,213 |
85 |
300 |
182 |
5,780 |
9,640 |
3,860 |
3 |
$5,988 |
85 |
450 |
234 |
6,757 |
14,460 |
7,703 |
As of December, the Together We're Better Program was at goal and subsidized this year's school budget with about $17,000. Many families have already met their annual goal and we thank everyone for participating. Of course, we encourage you to increase usage of the TWB program and purchase more gift cards through the pre-order program.
The Bridge The Gap program requests families to make voluntary, tax-deductible donations to pay more of the full cost of their children's educations. We were at 33% of the $100,000 goal at the end of 2006. Less than 15% of school families participated and we challenge you to improve this statistic! Given the preliminary budget and enrollment projections, SHF's cost to educate each child will be $4,820 in 2007-08. The difference between the fees paid and this cost is the 'Gap / Subsidy'. This Parish Subsidy is from Sunday collections and donations from parishioners and organizations. It is estimated to total $520,000 in the coming year. Please make use of the Sunday envelopes to help bridge the gap between tuition income and actual costs. We encourage you to check with your employer about their matching gift program as these donations often qualify.
Other changes are being implemented to improve cash flow. Father Don's previous communication explained that auto-debits will be required for all families who choose to pay monthly. This method will reduce collection expenses as well as address our ability to meet payroll and other monthly obligations. A discount of $100 will be offered to those making full payment by check prior to 1 August 2007. We will introduce a Tuition Contract (as is utilized by many other schools) to summarize the financial obligations.
Families who desire a Catholic education for their children and find the tuition cost a hardship are strongly encouraged to apply for financial aid. Applications must be submitted by 1 April 2007 for the coming year and must include the 2006 tax return. We will again utilize a third party (FACTS) to objectively and privately evaluate needs.
Hopefully you agree that these policies, procedures, and programs will improve the financial viability of our school. If you have questions, please contact a School Board member. A representative will also be available at the SHF Open House (March 10th & 11th) in the library to provide details. If you missed the School Board's Parish Forum, you will be able to see this presentation (un-narrated). We urge you to come, learn more about the financial status of the School, and share your suggestions.
Thank you for all you do for Seven Holy Founders School!
Sincerely,
The Seven Holy Founders School Board
- Fr. Donald Siple, Pastor
- Richard Danzeisen, Principal
- Anne Albers, President
- Michelle Bauer
- Emilie Baker
- Jeff Branson
- Steve Creamer
- Cindy Gerontes
- Karen Kinealy
- Carolyn Placht
- Rich Simonds
- Cathy Valenza
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