Denver Catholic

3 DENVER CATHOLIC | APRIL 28-MAY 11, 2018 Around the Archdiocese Presented in Denver by: Presented in Denver by: Major Support from: In partnership with: 'Fill the Seats' campaign o ers aid to middle-income families W ith declining enrollment, financial difficulties and limited resources, the chal- lenges faced by Catholic schools can seem insurmountable, said Elias Moo, superintendent of Catholic Schools. "But in spite of this reality, I would argue that now more than ever, the world needs our schools, especially in a modern cultural context that has devi- ated sharply away from God and is more and more consumed by secularism and relativism," he said. To help our Catholic schools grow, the Schmitz Family Foundation is launching the "Fill the Seats" campaign, which will allow schools to provide school scholar- ships for middle-income families. Together with ACE (Alliance for Catholic Education) Scholarships, the Schmitz Family Foundation provides more than $2.5 million each year in scholarships to students attending local Catholic schools. The foundation has committed an additional $500,000 to launch "Fill the Seats," and ACE will also increase funding. Pastors and principals will be respon- sible for recruiting families and students who are a good fi t for their school. Annie McBournie of the Schmitz Family Foundation spoke to school principals and business managers on April 11 about why families deserve the opportunity to choose Catholic schools. "Our families are so happy at our schools," McBournie said. "They feel they have input at our schools. They feel safe; they feel like they are heard. "Our ACT scores are three points higher across the board than the Colo- rado average," she said. "The Schmitz students are three points higher in English and reading and they're over two points higher in math and science." Those statistics are appealing to families, and Moo believes "Fill the Seats" will give as many as possible the chance take advantage of what a Catholic education can oƒ er. "We do not want fi nances to be an obstacle for families who wish to give their children an excellent Catholic education," said Moo. Normally, low income families receive the majority of scholarships and tuition assistance, but this one is diƒ erent, he added. "We're glad this campaign will allow our schools to provide new scholarships to middle-income, working families who, perhaps in the past, have fallen outside of scholarship income thresholds." BY MOIRA CULLINGS moira.cullings@archden.org PHOTO BY ANDREW WRIGHT

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