Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Catholic schools are fundamental to the Church’s mission of forming our young people in the faith and readying them to assume leadership positions in our Church communities and in the wider society. Our Catholic schools are rightly known for the excellence of their academic programs, their environments of discipline and mutual respect, the dedication and skill of teachers and staff, all of which rest on a foundation of core Gospel values. These qualities and the tremendous benefits that will sustain our children through adulthood cannot be overstated, nor can they be matched anywhere else. Catholic schools, then, must not only be cherished for what they are, but strengthened so that they may serve generations to come.
As many of you know, this diocese has been working to respond to the challenges facing Catholic elementary schools in the six counties of South Jersey. Under the leadership of Mary Boyle, Superintendent of Schools and Nicholas Regina, Executive Director, we have taken steps to strengthen Catholic schools, to enhance already excellent programs, and to ensure their growth well into the future. We have also been greatly assisted by Robert Healey, Christine Healey DeVaull and their staff from the IEF/Catholic School Development Program who have given so generously of their time and resources in this and other dioceses in support of Catholic schools. We are grateful for their counsel, support and passionate advocacy on behalf of Catholic schools. I also thank our advancement directors that have worked to position our schools in a competitive marketplace, who have worked to boost enrollment, and institute fundraising programs that will improve the financial footing of the schools. Our pastors, too, have my deep appreciation for their continued support of our Catholic schools, understanding both the heavy challenges they face, but confident that their efforts are producing lasting benefits for our young people and our communities.
Addressing the challenges facing our schools has meant change, change that sometimes has been very difficult, but also has been necessary in order to strengthen schools and meet the needs of our families and children. I am grateful for the dedication, talent and care of our school administrators and faculties, including those that in merged schools have eased the transition for school children and families and worked successfully to establish schools that are stronger and better equipped to meet student needs and flourish in challenging times.
In a special way, I want to thank our parents who, often at great financial sacrifice, choose not just academic excellence, but a values-based education for their children. I know that in today’s distressed economic climate, financial concerns weigh more heavily than ever. I know that many of you feel the uncertainty of these times and perhaps have been burdened in a special way through job loss, a freeze or cut in salary, and significant investment loss.
With these concerns in mind, I have directed my school advisors to defer implementation of the Needs-Based Tuition Assistance/Cost-Based Tuition (NBTA/CBT) funding model for our elementary schools. Under this model, tuition is set based on actual cost while tuition assistance is offered to those families who need help meeting the higher cost. While I believe in the merit of this model for the long-term financial stability of our schools, it is my hope that by suspending it at this time, we will respond to the very real concerns facing so many families in this diocese. I also have requested that our schools allocate an additional share of their budgets to tuition assistance to meet the needs of our Catholic school families. Moreover, it also is my hope that the additional time gained by the deferral of NBTA/CBT will be of benefit in allowing the diocese to establish a deeper pool of tuition assistance for the NBTA/CBT model when it is implemented, which itself has been made more challenging in these difficult economic times. In addition, delaying the implementation of the NBTA/CBT model will allow our newly formed advancement programs to mature and our new school board structure to take hold. Clearly, the stronger our schools are the better able they will be to move to the new model when we are in a position to do so.
Finally, as we work to strengthen Catholic schools for the future, I call your attention to a bill that is now being considered by the New Jersey Legislature, S1607/A2897, the Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act. It is a corporate tax credit bill — not a voucher — which uses the principle of having tax dollars follow a student and is modeled after a similar bill that has been operating for many years statewide in Pennsylvania. The legislation would offer the opportunity for scholarships for low-income students living in the districts contained in the bill, including Camden, in order for them to attend a participating nonpublic school in their area. Up to 25 percent of the scholarship funds may be utilized for current nonpublic school students to remain in their nonpublic school of choice. Additionally, public school students may choose to attend another participating public school which accepts the amount of the scholarship. The program is a pilot program which provides a five-year window to demonstrate success.
While the bill moves through various committees before it will come to a floor vote in the houses of the legislature, I ask that you find out more about the bill and how it will benefit children and our communities. I also ask that you contact the offices of Senate President Richard Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts to express your support for this legislation:
The Honorable Richard J. Codey
449 Mount Pleasant Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052
Phone: 973-731-6770
Fax: 973-731-0647
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The Honorable Joseph Roberts
1916 Route 70 East, Suite 3
Brooklawn, NJ 08030-2797
Phone: 856-742-7600
Fax: 856-742-1831
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Your support of Catholic schools is crucial because Catholic schools help the Church fulfill its religious mission. However, they also are fundamental to the Church’s social mission in that quality schools create real opportunities for children and families so that they might live in a way worthy of their God-given dignity. In this sense, good, safe, quality schools are simply a matter of justice.
I thank you for your support of Catholic schools and pray that God will continue to guide you and bless you.
Fraternally,
Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Camden
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