V. H. Capital Needs
Findings and Background
1. The only archdiocesan campaign for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese was conducted in the early 1950's. A major purpose of this campaign was to construct new schools.
2. Capital is needed to implement some of the important objectives of the Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools.
(1) Facility needs are documented in the Facility Cost Report - March 2003.
(2) Seed money raised for this purpose in the capital campaign could be put in an escrow account. Funds would be spent when a bona fide plan was submitted by the Region and approved by the Department of Catholic Schools and the Archdiocesan School Council. If the seed money is used as projected, it could add about 6,000 new K to 12 seats in Catholic schools.
Several very successful archdiocesan-wide capital campaigns for new school construction have recently been run by the Diocese of Arlington (2 new high schools), Diocese of Wilmington (2 new elementary schools), Archdiocese of Atlanta (high schools and elementary schools) and the Diocese of Nashville (1 new high school).
The preparers of this report doubt if many new schools will start if local parishes and groups are left to their own initiative, without the incentive of seed money.
3. By 2010, the Catholic Education Foundation needs to have added more than $50 million to its principal in order to provide the level of tuition assistance that will be needed. Estate planning and similar means should be investigated by the Foundation.
Objectives and strategies
1. Conduct the capital campaign as soon as practical.
Strategies1.1 Determine which archdiocesan departments would be involved in a capital campaign and who would be responsible for coordinating it.
1.2 Conduct a capital campaign feasibility study as a first step.
1.3 Include in the campaign a variety of needs (serving #10-#9-#8 schools, #7-#6 schools, suburban school growth, new churches and archdiocesan-wide services), thereby appealing to a wide range of donor interests.
1.4 Timing of the campaign will be influenced by many factors, including the economy. Nevertheless, most of the identified needs are long overdue and more tuition assistance is needed soon from the Catholic Education Foundation.
1.5 The inclusion of other archdiocesan needs such as new churches (or expansion of existing churches) in a capital campaign may be appropriate, but is beyond the scope of this current study.
1.6 Place the "seed money for new classrooms" in a reserve fund for that purpose. Encourage communities interested in a new or expanded school to make application for monies from the reserve fund. Respond flexibly based on local needs (i.e., new schools could be given seed money in a range of $2 to $4 million).
1.7 Allow as much flexibility as practical in funding new construction.
