There are no greater gifts that we can provide to a child or young person than a
quality education and the ability to succeed in life. Ahh, yes, those were the days
...
Guardian Angel Fund
August 2013 – June 2014 School year Saint Mary Elementary School 700 South Third Street Columbus, OH 43206
BRIDGING THE THREE GAPS Become a Saint Mary Elementary School
Guardian Angel for the 2013-2014 School Year There are no greater gifts that we can provide to a child or young person than a quality education and the ability to succeed in life. Ahh, yes, those were the days….. In the sixties, parents only paid a $15.00 book fee for each child in the family. That was it. Period. Sisters taught us, and they asked for very little. Perhaps you remember that, too. In the eighties, tuition was up to $1,125.00 year as a participating Catholic. Still, costs were manageable. The home budget could be trimmed enough to fit it all in. Another generation later, it’s not so easy. Per pupil costs at St. Mary are $5,950.00 for the 2013-14 school year. According to a demographic report recently received from the Diocese, the average income within a 5 mile radius of our school is $54,860.00. That means that tuition is more than 10% of gross income for the average family. According to the detailed breakdown in the same report, more than 70% of families within our 5 mile radius are below that average. Forty-four percent (44%) of families within our 5 mile radius have an income of $30,000.00 or less. The majority of our families have more than 1 child in school. It is no surprise then, that we find these statistics within our school: We currently have 221 children in elementary school; 173 of our students receive an Ed Choice Scholarship. We can generally classify families in one of three categories. Category 1 - Of those receiving the Ed Choice Scholarship, 70 children are from families whose income has been documented as below 200% of the Federal poverty guideline.
These families cannot pay the $1,700.00 difference between tuition cost of $5950.00 and the Ed Choice Scholarship of $4,250.00. To accept these children, we must agree not to charge them this difference, or “gap”. Last year, generous friends and alumni donated over $49,000.00 to the Guardian Angel Part I - Bridging the Gap campaign, covering more than 40% of the unpaid tuition for our neediest families. The total gap for this school year is $119,000.00. Category 2 - Of the remaining 103 children receiving the Ed Choice Scholarship, approximately 20% are either near 200% of the Federal poverty guideline, or are below it and are undocumented. Parents and relatives are making an effort to “work off” the gap – an option we must offer under Ed Choice rules. The gap for these families is approximately $34,000.00 (after grants noted below). Category 3 - Forty –eight (48) children do not receive the Ed Choice Scholarship. Several families in this category have experienced life events that have resulted in a true hardship in meeting tuition. For their privacy, we do not wish to list how many children are in this category or the events that have changed their lives. The need in this category is approximately $50,000.00 (after grants noted below). Altogether, approximately $203,000.00 is needed to cover the needs of our school this year. Beginning with this school year, two dedicated alumni, Mrs. Nancy Plank Kelley and Mrs. Vivian Ruppersburg Williams, have given $25,000.00 each in memory of their mothers (Loretta Manns Plank and Rosina Felder Ruppersburg) to provide tuition assistance to students in the 43205, 43206 and 43207 zip codes who attend our school. Those funds have been used to alleviate the burden for families in Category 2 and Category 3. These grants will continue for the next two school years (2014-15 and 201516). These grants came as a part of the 2012 Guardian Angel Part II campaign. It is the wish of these generous alumni that other alumni, friends, neighbors, parishioners and school parents will contribute to the Guardian Angel Program. Others did join in last year, both to Bridge the Gap and to provide ongoing assistance for the children in our school. Other friends and alumni have stepped up to this challenge, contributing anywhere from $10.00 to $10,000.00. Some have given a onetime gift; some have listed St. Mary in their automatic bill pay list at their bank, making a regular monthly contribution. No matter the size of the gift, you are treasured as a St. Mary School donor. Without these gifts, we would lose this wonderful ministry. We are the last Catholic school serving the South Side and Downtown. We are in a position – with your help – to thrive and grow. Donations may be made by using this Parish Web Site, clicking on “Donate with Pledge Connect” and selecting the “St Mary Bridging the Gap Tuition Assistance Fund”. Guardian Angel envelopes are also available in the back of the church.
