10/16/20 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: First Grade Teacher, Corrie Sheshull in action in her classroom.

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family:

One of the many reports that I must do as a principal occurs this time of year. Both the Diocese and the State ask for enrollment statistics. We are blessed in the State of Ohio that we get a significant amount of money for each student that is enrolled during the first week of October. Even with cutbacks because of the pandemic, Our Lady of Peace will garner over $700 in aid for each of our students. This money pays for Mrs. Connor, our nurse, Mr. Norling, our school psychologist, and Mrs. McNaughten, our tutor.

The money also pays for textbooks, both hardback and on-line, as well as our smartboards and chrome books. If it were not for this aid, tuition would be $700 per student higher!

Our official enrollment for this school year is 210 students. As a comparison we were 220 students last year. While we would like to have an enrollment growth rather than a decline it should be noted that we had to turn some students away this year in order to keep classroom sizes smaller because of Covid-19. The bright spot in our enrollment is that Kindergarten is full for this year.

I would like to present some of the other statistics concerning enrollment for this year in an effort to provide you with information about our school. I will also contrast this year’s enrollment statistics with those of the 2017-18 school year as a basis for comparison.

As you can see, with the exception of our enrollment dip, our demographics have not changed much in the last three years.

Some in our community have worried about our reliance on the EdChoice scholarship. I believe that more of our families are taking advantage of a program that returns some of your tax dollars back to tax paying parents. EdChoice also helps to make tuition affordable for parents who are struggling financially. Catholic school have been educating people of limited means for centuries and this program helps that to continue. It is fair and just and should continue.

We will not be holding out traditional open house in November this year. However you can help us by spreading the word that enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year begins November 3 for all new students who are siblings of present students, parishioners and parish members of Catholic churches without schools. I do expect, as was the case this year, for the Kindergarten to fill up next year.



Jim Silcott