St. Patrick ‘micro-school’ in Springfield serving families who normally wouldn’t have access to a Catholic education
By ANDREW HANSEN
Editor
Established in 1910, St. Patrick Catholic School on Springfield’s east side, which educates 62 children in kindergarten through fifth grade, has a long history of educating and helping families in need. Their motto, “Build community,” is right on point as the demographics of the families they serve differ from any other school in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. They are not a parish school. Instead, they are a 501c3 not-for-profit serving working-class families, a majority of which are non-Catholic students of color. To serve these families, instead of a set tuition with scholarship opportunities, they offer families their Affordable Tuition Plan. Families are donors to their mission, and the school asks them the same thing they ask of every donor: What can you afford to invest in our mission?
Catholic Times Editor Andrew Hansen interviewed the school’s principal, Michael Carlson.
Why do you call St. Pat’s a “micro-school?”
In comparison to other schools, we are intentionally small with “right-sized” classes. The average classroom in K-5 has eight students. Families love the individual attention each student gets and teachers love building close relationships with students and their families. Parent-Teacher Partnership is a hallmark of our school culture: regular and proactive communication with parents and teachers.
What do you mean that St. Pat’s is a diocesan school as opposed to a parish school?
St. Pat’s is a diocesan school and is proud of that identity and its relationships with other Springfield Catholic schools. We have a scholarship program for young alumni to continue their Catholic education at Little Flower School, and we have several alumni currently at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School. Without a parish to support us, our mission continues financially because of our community of donors who believe in our work of affordable Christian education serving a majority non-Catholic Black and Bi-racial families.
What percentage of the students are from low-income families?
One hundred percent of our students qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch which we serve at school. An excellent Boys and Girls Club program provides aftercare services until 6:30 p.m., including dinner. Many children eat three meals daily at school Monday-Thursday.
Last year, all your students were on the Invest in Kids Scholarship program. With state lawmakers not renewing this tax credit-based scholarship program that supported low-income families (democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers), what would you like to convey to the community in terms of the help your school and your students need?
It costs over $9,000 to educate each student. The families we serve commit to one of our Affordable Tuition Plans, but we need the Catholic philanthropy community to sustain this mission. If you believe that no child should be denied the opportunity of a Catholic education, please contact the school and ask how you can get involved. Our families are Christian and seek a Catholic education at St. Pat’s. Students go to Mass weekly and religion class daily. Father Kevin Mann of St. Katharine Drexel Parish is a regular presence and Sister Angelene Biderbost, a Springfield Dominican, is a religion teacher. St. Pat’s families primarily seek this school for our Gospel values and Christian education. Without St. Pat’s Affordable Tuition Plan, those families would not have access to the Catholic education they deserve.
How will you stay afloat without this scholarship program and is there any fear down the road the school won’t have the capacity to serve as many children with the scholarship gone?
St. Pat’s has been serving children on the east side of Springfield since 1910. The Dominican Sisters who first taught here served children in such financial need that many of those students walked to school without shoes. We have generations of proud and successful alumni and a well-earned reputation for serving an underserved community with an excellent Catholic education. Our MAP Learning Growth scores were above average last year. We pride ourselves on high academic and character standards. The Springfield philanthropy community will respond to this success. We are in an excellent position to expand our donor community because our mission is so unique. There isn’t any other school like ours in the diocese.
What does your tuition plan look like and how is it different than other schools?
St. Pat’s utilizes CCAP for Pre-K, a government program which factors parental income into a scholarship for tuition. Families of K-5 students are offered something different: the Affordable Tuition Plan. Inspired by the tuition plans of the Nativity Miguel Coalition, families are donors and choose one of four plans that they can afford. They discern which plan they can afford. Families who are able to do so have chosen higher plans this year because they believe in our mission and want to support us financially, so they budget accordingly. Other families chose the lower plans because that is what they can afford. Regardless of the amount, we treat all donors, including our families, with equal gratitude and regular prayers of thanksgiving.
How can people support your school?
People can donate at st-patrick.org/donate. Also, they can call the school at (217) 523-7670 or email Advancement Director Kris Cavanagh: [email protected]. We are eager to build new relationships and regularly invite people in the community for student-led tours on Tuesdays to see in person the work we do.
Catholics often think of “missionary work” as happening in foreign countries. However, St. Pat’s is a mission school in the Diocese of Springfield serving local families who want a Catholic education but, without St. Pat’s, they would likely have to attend public schools. All Catholics in the diocese can take pride in our work. We don’t have a parish, but we have faith that the diocesan community will respond and invest in us and the families we serve.