Notwithstanding that education is at the heart of the Catholic church, it is not our intention to subsidize any institution but rather to support the individual’s commitment to choose a Catholic education. In fact, Catholic schools seek ethnic, economic and academic diversity while welcoming members of all religious denominations. Even though there is some merit to the argument that Catholic schools may be selective and may require more discipline both in an out of the classroom, Catholic schools are of tremendous value to the community and therefore may respectfully solicit public support for their efforts. Following are some of the facts a potential donor should consider:

• Catholic schools educate approximately one out of every six children in the Louisville community.

• The schools are centers of Excellence:

  • Distinct structure and code of conduct

  • Demanding curriculum

  • High expectations and standards for social behavior

  • Academic Excellence

    • One of every 147 students is a National Merit Semi-Finalist

    • Average ACT score of the top two thirds of the classes is 24.4

    • 95% of high school graduates attend post-secondary schools

• Choice & Competition – in most aspects of life choices are abundant. In education, most will agree that competition in curriculum, programs, etc. when conducted with integrity makes the public, private and Catholic schools better. In this situation the Louisville community wins.
  
  

• The schools are operated very economically however they are still very expensive. Aggregate tuition for the 23,000+ students exceeds $95,000,000 each year; a cost not required to be borne by the public sector through taxes. As a matter of reference, the cost per student at a Catholic school is about 85% that of the public sector.
  
  

• Emphasis on Parental Involvement – with parents being the primary educators of their children, consistent parental involvement is an important ingredient in the success of Catholic schools. Parents are not only expected to participate in the educations of their children, they are supported in their desire to do so.
  
  

• By their very nature, Catholic schools are permitted to teach morality and ethics based on Christian values in the Catholic tradition. Understandably the public sector is not permitted to pursue this line of education but there is no question it is of significant value to the community.