Do you think catholic education is overpriced?

[KellyPalmer]

Wow, so now parishes are ignoring all education. Once a month? Shocking

Thy arent ignoring it but the classes are only once a month. They also do a group lunch with group activity (all ages - parents must be preset with their kids) once a month and then provide materials for home study.

 

[buffalo]

So, you want me to pay taxes to send the public school kids to school, and you want me to donate money to the Church to send the Church kids to school?

Would you like me fund yet a third option as well, if the other two don’t work out?

I’ve made the decision not to send my kids to Catholic school. Why would I send other people’s kids to Catholic school?

I don’t mean to be argumentative, but I don’t get this idea at all.

Great argument for vouchers.

But yes, it is once again time for Catholic parishioners to invest in their elementary school.

 

[buffalo]

In the Diocese of Wichita a practicing Catholic ma sent their children K-12 tuition free because of the bold leadership of their Bishop.

 

[PaulinVA]

Great argument for vouchers.

But yes, it is once again time for Catholic parishioners to invest in their elementary school.

I knew it would be less than 24 hours before someone mentioned vouchers!

But, once again, if one investigates their local Catholic schools and finds them wanting, wouldn’t it be morally wrong to donate money to them? The Bishop will not let us have a school, so it’s a moot point for me.

I am conflicted about Catholic schools. From what I have observed, they are no better than secular schools, and you have the problem of explaining to your kids why Catholic schools do things, support things, that the Church teaches against. It’s really hard to support them in that case.

 

[buffalo]

I read that tithing is low to non-existent in America. Could there be a connection?

Yes - I have chaired a Catholic school board and also was finance chair.

Research shows - Catholics give less than 2% of income to their Church. The more money a Catholic makes the less as a % he gives. The highest % of church support comes from the lowest earners.

Cost to educate - In our area it is less than $4,000 per student as opposed to the public school $13,000.

Full capacity at our local school was set at 225. The $4,000 cost to educate reflects 140 students current or 560K. This is fairly typical for schools around the country.

The parish has 1600 families. Just 550 envelopes per week are used. If every envelope used had 20.00 the school cost would be paid. (this does not include church and other program support) . This same school already invest in the parish - around 40% or 224K. So 560K-224K=336K needed. So, whatever the current contribution is - add 11.75 per envelope and there can be a tuition free school. Increase the envelope count and you can get more.

Now this same school has a tuition of around $1800 per single child.

How do we get to full enrollment? Every year decrease the tuition by $100. until sending your child there becomes a no brainer. And you are Catholic educating 80 more students.

It can be done.

Another way to look at it. In this schools area the median income is around 55K. If every envelope family gave 3% of gross income the revenue is 907K.

It can work. Your are only a couple of Big Macs per week per family away.

If anyone would like to see the plan given to the school by the advisory council PM me and I will get it to you.

It takes a lot of work to change the paradigm so be prepared.

 

[buffalo]

I knew it would be less than 24 hours before someone mentioned vouchers!

But, once again, if one investigates their local Catholic schools and finds them wanting, wouldn’t it be morally wrong to donate money to them? The Bishop will not let us have a school, so it’s a moot point for me.

I am conflicted about Catholic schools. From what I have observed, they are no better than secular schools, and you have the problem of explaining to your kids why Catholic schools do things, support things, that the Church teaches against. It’s really hard to support them in that case.

Our experience is the Catholic School outcome is superior. The workload, the journaling, the expectations all produce a better outcome. Parents must set the expectations though.

My experience is the Catholic schools let us down on Catechesis. More Bishops need to do what Bishop Vasa is doing. A big problem is the lay teachers are themselves not well Catechized and stagnant in their faith. This has to change. Parents must be vigilant as to what their kids are being taught and correct obvious doctrinal issues.

 

[buffalo]

I hated going to public school and I desperately wanted to go to the Catholic high school. But there was just no way my foster parents could afford it. I applied for scholarships, but didn’t get any, mostly because I had no extra-curricular activities. Of course if I had been a star athlete I could have gotten the tuition paid for.

I looked a couple Catholic colleges and… no. First, I doubt I would have been accepted in the first place and second, they were simply too expensive.

At least for elementary ed most parishes have a policy that no one will be turned away for financial reasons. The reality is that most parents would not give up their two yearly vacations, cable, and other stuff. Parents were not willing to make the sacrifice.

My proposals always put the kids first in that they wouldn’t be punished for the sins of the parents. Make Catholic education available to all who seek it. The biggest barrier is tuition costs.

 

[ManyBlessings6]

There isn’t a local Catholic school for my children to attend. Years ago there was one but it closed due to declining enrollment. Lots of job losses caused many to move away. The public schools suffered greatly as well.

If there were a local one we would want to send our children however costs would be a huge barrier. But if we could volunteer for 20 hours a week, volunteer at fundraisers and give an extra ten dollars a week we would be more than willing to do so to offset the costs.

Our reality is that our local public schools poorly perform and are struggling. There is no private schools, Catholic or otherwise. So we homeschool and it has been a blessing for us to have the opportunity.

 

[shelby_sun]

People need to remember Catholic schools are all different in different parts of the country. I work at a Jesuit high school where the tuition is one of the lowest of all the Catholic high schools in the area. No one leaves for financial reasons, we work around what people can pay. There a financial aid program, scholarships, and work grant where the parents and kids can work at the school to pay off tuition. The work grant program actually helps to make our school very much of community.

People might think that separates the haves from the have nots, but it really does the opposite. Those who can pay really admire the ones that work so hard to send their kids there and the kids who do work grant feel like a big part of the community. We are all doing something to take care of our school, so it feel like family.

 

[KellyPalmer]

I know all too well how different it can be, depending on where a person lives. It makes me so disappointed that I live where I do. Dh and I can’t wait until he retires from the military and we can choose where we live. Here, there is literally one Catholic school. One. And they separate the haves from the have notes. The end.

 

[SamH]

So, you want me to pay taxes to send the public school kids to school, and you want me to donate money to the Church to send the Church kids to school?

Would you like me fund yet a third option as well, if the other two don’t work out?

I’ve made the decision not to send my kids to Catholic school. Why would I send other people’s kids to Catholic school?

Is the family motto “I got mine”?

I don’t mean to be argumentative, but I don’t get this idea at all.

Really?

 

[ManyBlessings6]

Ok just checked the closest Catholic K-8 school, which is an hour away has a tuition of around $4000. And parents must volunteer 10 hours a year, if they fail to do so they are charged for each hour they did not fulfill the obligation. Also you must be a regular parishioner who tithes to get thatr rate.

The High School is further away about 90 minutes. Not sure what the tuition is there

 

[ALLGIRLS]

I would love it if the schools were so Catholic that it would matter. And if the kids of active parishoners could attend for free. Of course, it’s all academic for me.

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Our school is that Catholic, that’s why we make the sacrifice. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being basically CINO, watered down catechesis, lots of dissent from church teaching, etc, and 10 being like a pre-Vatican II Catholic school, ours is about an 8, “Catholicity” speaking. Academically, it’s above the school district we live in, and at least on par with the other 2 districts the parish encompasses.

In Christ,
Ellen

 

[ALLGIRLS]

I knew it would be less than 24 hours before someone mentioned vouchers!

But, once again, if one investigates their local Catholic schools and finds them wanting, wouldn’t it be morally wrong to donate money to them? The Bishop will not let us have a school, so it’s a moot point for me.

I am conflicted about Catholic schools. From what I have observed, they are no better than secular schools, and you have the problem of explaining to your kids why Catholic schools do things, support things, that the Church teaches against. It’s really hard to support them in that case.

That’s not true across the board. Like I said, our school is awesome, and from what I’ve read and heard of the neighboring parish schools, they’re just as good (one of them has Dominican Sisters. I’m jealous!). It could be because the entire student body is Catholic, and not only Catholic, but members of the parish, and to get in the school a family is required to participate in parish life (not just show up for Mass, but actually be actively involved in parish (not school) activities, like lector, EMHC, usher, choir member, Bible studies, MOPS, volunteer at the parish picnic and fall festivals, etc.). We also live in a very safe, rather affluent (our families not affluent, we’re on the “poor” end of the economic spectrum for our area. Mostly due to the fact that we have 5 kids and one income) area with good public schools, so the only reason for someone to send their kids to Catholic school is for the “Catholicity”.

And I don’t necessarily want vouchers (seems like it’d be a hassle, just like everthing else the government is involved with), but I do wish we could deduct our tuition from our taxes, so we, too, could have a choice to not pay for public and Catholic school when we’re only using one!

In Christ,
Ellen

 

[PaulinVA]

Is the family motto “I got mine”?

Well, that is certainly snarky. If we met in the vestibule after Mass, would you say that to me in person?

No, our family teaches self reliance and making your own decisions and then making them happen. I was remarking that Buffalo, whom I respect and normally agree with, was basically saying that everyone at a parish should pay for the private school tuition of all the parish kids.

That sounds just like what I hear from the current crop of politicians who have so many great ideas of what they will do with other people’s money.

I support the Church and I support other worthwhile causes. The fact I don’t think that providing Catholic schooling for other people’s kids shouldn’t lead to make your comment.

I understand that there are good Catholic school systems. I understand that the Church, as an institution that values self preservation and continuing to exist, uses it’s power to tell all of us we have to support Catholic education. I do, but I don’t do it blindly.

 

[SamH]

Well, that is certainly snarky. If we met in the vestibule after Mass, would you say that to me in person?

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Perhaps in a more forceful manner. I was following the forum rules and being charitable.

The fact I don’t think that providing Catholic schooling for other people’s kids shouldn’t lead to make your comment.

Of course you wouldn’t, but then that is exactly why it was warranted. The church needs money for a new roof or a new building, or a mission to Africa if you only consideration is “Where I sit its dry” or “I won’t use that facility” or “I don’t know anyone in Africa” then you won’t give for those missions either.

 

[PaulinVA]

Perhaps in a more forceful manner. I was following the forum rules and being charitable.
Of course you wouldn’t, but then that is exactly why it was warranted. The church needs money for a new roof or a new building, or a mission to Africa if you only consideration is “Where I sit its dry” or “I won’t use that facility” or “I don’t know anyone in Africa” then you won’t give for those missions either.

Wow. You don’t know me at all, what I give or what I do.

To stay on topic, Catholic education is important. It’s up the parents of the children involved to make sure it happens.

 

[PatriceA]

Not enough information. My kids are in a high school where the tuition is almost $12,000. I have seen some of the financials, the actual cost to provide that education is about $1500 per child more than that. The difference is made up with fundraisers and some donations.

We are a fairly new school so we don’t yet have an alumni network to solicit.

We are not attached or affiliated with a parish, so all of the above comments about the parishioners and pastor making more affordable education happen, don’t apply.

Even given all that, there is a significant number of students who receive finanicial aid either from the school or the diocese. The diocse does not directly provide support to the school but there are some shared resource.

**According to our representatives, the average cost to educate a student in the public school is about $10K accross all grades. The average cost for Catholic school students accross all grades is much less. **

It feels too expensive because we are already paying for the public schools with our taxes. But in terms of expense per student, it is not too expensive.

This is the typical cost for a public school student in our area as well. The local Catholic high school is about $6,000/year, our parish school was $2400/year. Actually seems like a bargain compared to what it costs to educate one student in the public school system. So no I don’t think Catholic education is overpriced.

 

[PaulinVA]

This is the typical cost for a public school student in our area as well. The local Catholic high school is about $6,000/year, our parish school was $2400/year. Actually seems like a bargain compared to what it costs to educate one student in the public school system. So no I don’t think Catholic education is overpriced.

What you have to remember about the public school average is that it includes special education that is mandated by law. That includes monitors who attend class with some students and education for children with profound issues. It also includes alternative schools and ESL.

Of course, since the Catholic schools don’t accept those children, their costs are less. Not making a judgement here, just putting the costs in context. To properly compare costs, you have to compare the Catholic school cost to the public school mainstream student cost.

 

[buffalo]

What you have to remember about the public school average is that it includes special education that is mandated by law. That includes monitors who attend class with some students and education for children with profound issues. It also includes alternative schools and ESL.

Of course, since the Catholic schools don’t accept those children, their costs are less. Not making a judgement here, just putting the costs in context. To properly compare costs, you have to compare the Catholic school cost to the public school mainstream student cost.

Eliminate the cost from your public school budget. How much is it now per student?