“Jesus said to his disciples: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
What do you treasure in life? This is a grand question to pray with. What is most important to you in life? What words come to mind?
Jesus. Faith. Family. Friendship. Truth. Love. Mercy. Education. Work. The list goes on…
This past week we celebrated the feast day of St. James, who was the first apostle to literally give his life in martyrdom for the faith. He treasured the faith that Jesus gave him. He lived for it. He spread and shared it—no matter the cost.
When it comes to sharing the Catholic faith and educating our youth in the faith, there has been exciting news in the state of Ohio recently that I want to share with you now.
All K-12 students NOW qualify to receive a state-funded EdChoice Expansion scholarship that will cover a portion or, in most cases, the full-cost of their Catholic school tuition. Our goal is to fully leverage scholarship opportunities to keep tuition affordable to our families. What changed with EdChoice? The governor approved an extensive expansion of the EdChoice Scholarship Program in the State budget in early July. Previously EdChoice covered up to $5,500 per student for families below 250% of the federal poverty line. The new scholarship covers up to $6,165 per student for families below 450% of the federal poverty line. Families over 450% receive a scholarship on a sliding scale. For instance, a family of four with an income of $135,000 or less can receive a scholarship for $6,165. As income increases, the scholarship amount is reduced on a sliding scale. All families are eligible to receive an EdChoice Expansion scholarship.
The State of Ohio has allowed schools a one-time opportunity to revise their published tuition rate for the school year in order to maximize scholarship potential. We are working with the finance council to determine what the best tuition will be for our families. Schools are encouraged to make tuition rates more accurately reflect the cost to educate each K-8 student. By raising posted tuition, we can:
How will this impact our school? It will lower family tuition obligations, raise teacher compensation, maximize educational value for each student, and increase enrollment by communicating the affordability of a Catholic education through the availability of scholarships. Our overall goal with the Diocese of Cleveland is to offer affordable, irresistibly Catholic, academically excellent, and financially viable schools. The Diocese of Cleveland has encouraged all Catholic schools to take part in this venture so that our future can be bright with the Lord! I encourage any family who might be interested in learning more to please reach out to Mrs. Dougherty, our principal, at mrskdougherty@stfparishschool.org.
I treasure my Catholic faith. I treasure the experience I received in being formed in the Catholic faith at St. Vincent and SS. Philip and James Elementary Schools. What I can say from my personal experience is that those years in Catholic education built up my heart and helped me to know I am loved and cared for in the eyes of God. I thank my parents for valuing that and for sharing that with me. Next week, I am going to share the exciting news happening in our PSR program.
God bless you all and enjoy the rest of summer!
Fr. Jeremy
