Free Tuition to New Families at St. Joe's School

A donor has offered one year of free tuition for new students at St. Joseph's School in Big Bend as parents and parish members rally to save the school.

The free tuition offer applies to any family with children in 5K through seventh grade who previously have not been enrolled in the school, and anyone interested will receive one free year with a two-year commitment.

Parish families learned in January the school would be closed at the end of this year, but the news only spurred them to action. 

"During an organizational meeting, a parishioner simply asked us how many new students we could handle, and we joked, 'All of them!'" said school parent and marketing committee member Shelly Wohler. "However he was serious, and talked with the parish council to offer the money to pay for new students to come to the school."

Calling the member "an anonymous donor who feels called by God to find a way to ensure that Catholic education is made available for all area children," Wohler said it's been exciting but also a new challenge for how the school is marketed in the next year or so.

"It certainly has accelerated our efforts to brand the school, but it's been such a blessing," she said.

The school is hoping that newcomers will find it a vital part of their child's development to pay for the second year, and many years beyond that.

"People realize when they enroll their children here that it isn't just a place you drop your kids off at — it's a way of life, it becomes a part of you and you really want to be involved," Wohler explained. "We're hoping to get these kids in, love them and make it a tough place to leave."

Hoping to grow to 165

Wohler said it costs approximately $6,000 per student per year to educate them, with the parish subsidizing about 60 percent of that cost. The present enrollment is around 125, and she said they are hoping to reach 165 or more to help make the school solvent once again.

"This is a bandaid, to be sure, but it does allow us to continue planning for the longterm survival of the school," Wohler explained.

A long-term strategy is still in the works, but it's likely to include incentive programs which make fundraising easier and more appealing, while also giving parents the ability to benefit directly.

Throughout the early stages of reorganizing for the future, the parents and staff have come to understand their strengths and weaknesses, which Wohler explained is important for their long-term success.

"People really have come forward to tell us where we've fallen short, which is important to know, but also to tell us what we're really good at," Wohler said. "The best part of this is that people are becoming passionate about the school, and that can only serve to make us better."