CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TUITION ASSISTANCE SOARS TO REACH ALL-TIME HIGH 3,350 STUDENTS
Aggregate Grants Hit Record-Tying $6.5 Million
Foundation Slogan “The Answer is Yes!” Fulfilled for Sixth Straight Year
Family Demand for In-Person Catholic Education Grows Daily
(Louisville, Ky.) – The Catholic Education Foundation of Louisville (the “Foundation”) and the Archdiocese of Louisville today jointly announced that tuition assistance for Catholic elementary school families across central Kentucky reached new heights for the 2020/2021 school year.
Tuition assistance awards reached an all-time high 3,350 students, roaring past last year’s record 3,250, while aggregate tuition assistance funding hit a record-tying $6.5 million.
Foundation President Richard A. Lechleiter remarked, “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors and the unwavering support of our funding partners – even during a world-wide health pandemic – we provided tuition assistance awards to every single family who demonstrated a financial need – for the sixth year in a row! This astonishing result serves as a great testament to the power of Catholic education and our community’s recognition of its importance and its future. Indeed, at a time when everyone’s lives have been so disrupted, our entire community rallied together and embraced the excitement and opportunity behind our slogan, “The Answer is YES!”
The Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D. D., Archbishop of Louisville, reflected with gratitude on the continued progress to improve access to Catholic education. “I am deeply thankful that we can come together to create so much hope for so many families. God has blessed our families, our schools and this community. Please join me in giving thanks to the Lord that so many students have access to this life-changing opportunity called Catholic education.”
Under the Foundation’s leadership, a collaborative partnership among the schools, the Archdiocese of Louisville, Community Catholic Center and the Foundation itself combines resources and shares data to determine the best possible award for each family who qualifies for financial assistance. Mr. Lechleiter added, “Now in our sixth year, this creative and highly successful way of allocating funds ensures that each family receives a fair award and that more families are assisted than ever before. What could be better!”
The record-tying $6.5 million of funding was provided by the Foundation ($3.0 million), parishes and schools ($2.0 million), and the Archdiocese of Louisville, including Community Catholic Center ($1.5 million).
The Phone is Still Ringing!
The Foundation continues to receive calls from families who are seeking a better opportunity for their children.
Foundation Board Chair Charlie Dahlem commented, “While we are elated that the Foundation and our partners are supporting another record number of families, our work is never done. Each day, families are reaching out to us in search of a better educational pathway for their children. Indeed, our message of growth, outreach and inclusion in Catholic schools is working – even in a pandemic. To every family who yearns for the great gift of a Catholic education, “The Answer is YES!”
Mr. Lechleiter continued, “I couldn’t be more proud of our 48 Catholic primary and secondary schools across central Kentucky! And I want to pay special tribute to Archbishop Kurtz, Dr. Brian Reynolds, School Superintendent Leisa Schulz, and all of our school leaders and instructors who have led the way in standing tall for our students and their families through our innovative in-person instruction models in our schools. What a debt of gratitude we owe to each of them!”
About the Catholic Education Foundation
For over 200 years, Catholic schools have contributed significantly to the social, spiritual and economic fabric of our community. The Catholic Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the growth and vitality of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Since 1999, the Foundation has awarded over $42 million in support of Catholic education. Visit the Foundation at www.ceflou.org.
