Holy Family Parish has been given permission to initiate a public exploratory phase on whether to open a Catholic parochial school in LaPorte. Below are the results of the School Survey administered to the parish.
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Answering Some Questions
We understand there may be some questions as we move forward with collecting data from the School Interest Survey. Below are answers to items that we thought might require clarification as people submit their survey responses.
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1. Is it certain that Holy Family Parish will open an elementary school?
No, it is not certain that Holy Family Parish would open an elementary school. We are simply in a public exploratory phase where we are looking into that possibility. This survey is an important part of assessing parish support of such a project.
2. St. Joseph School closed in 2012. Why would we want to open a Catholic school now?
St. Joseph School closed its doors in 2012 due to declining enrollment and financial issues, prior to the merger of the three LaPorte parishes into one. Over the last several years, however, the demand for a local Catholic school has not been insignificant. No Catholic school exists in LaPorte County outside of Michigan City. The local population from which a school would draw is about 40,000 people with nearly 3,000 ages 0-4 and 3,000 ages 5-9. Additionally, with the expansion of the availability of school choice vouchers, tuition would become less of a burden for families, making a private catholic education accessible to all.
3. If Holy Family Parish opened an elementary school, where would it be located?
Holy Family Parish has many buildings, several of which are former schools. Of the school buildings on our campuses, the former St. Joseph school is in the best condition and would be the ideal location for a new school.
4. The St. Joseph school building is currently being used by our Faith Formation program and other ministries. What would happen to those ministries if a school is opened at that location?
The safety and security of a school and its students is something that we take seriously. We also know that the ministries at Holy Family Parish are an important part of the way we live out our mission. Thus, while it would be necessary to make adjustments to the availability of the school building during times in which students are present, we would make every effort to ensure that our ministries would continue to function.
5. What improvements to the building would need to be done before opening a school?
Although the school building at St. Joseph church would be the best location for a new school, it would still require certain updates. It is important to note that these are updates that are being considered regardless of whether a school is opened. The care and upkeep of our buildings is an important part of the stewardship of our resources. The following are needed updates to the school building at St. Joseph: Kitchen, Bathrooms, Handicapped Accessibility, Electrical, Security.
6. Does the school choice voucher cover the entire cost to educate a child?
It is important to note that, since we are in an exploratory phase of this project, we have yet to talk about what tuition might look like. However, in considering the possibility of a school, it is important to acknowledge that the school choice voucher does not cover the entire cost to educate a child. According to the Indiana Department of Education, the school choice voucher covers approximately 90% of the per student state funding allocation. This does not include any optional programs or fees. The following is a link to the Choice Scholarship Program Eligibility Requirements, including information about household size and income limits: https://www.in.gov/doe/files/3-Choice-Eligibility-Overview.pdf
Note about the Indiana state school choice voucher program: Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, commonly referred to as the voucher program, provides scholarships to eligible Indiana students to offset tuition costs at participating schools. Students must satisfy both household income requirements and student eligibility criteria to qualify. Recent voucher eligibility expansion means that most families will qualify for Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program. (www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-choice-scholarship-program/)
Note about the Indiana state school choice voucher program: Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, commonly referred to as the voucher program, provides scholarships to eligible Indiana students to offset tuition costs at participating schools. Students must satisfy both household income requirements and student eligibility criteria to qualify. Recent voucher eligibility expansion means that most families will qualify for Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program. (www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-choice-scholarship-program/)
Watch Fr. Nate's Homily about the Catholic School Interest Survey
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