Rockford, Ill., Feb 12, 2011 / 11:09 am
News today about the economy usually includes the word “increase.” However, in a bold move to boost enrollment and keep a high quality west-side Catholic School viable, St. Bernadette pastor Father Kenneth Stachyra and school principal Elizabeth Heitkamp are using the words “decrease” and “roll-back.”
Last month principal Heitkamp presented a plan that decreases tuition rates at the school by almost 40 percent. In a letter to parents she said, “I am very excited to announce that St. Bernadette Catholic School is making Catholic Education more affordable for families. We have instituted a tuition roll back that takes our tuition rates back 10 years and reduces our current tuition by up to 40 percent!”
Heitkamp went on in the letter to explain how the school can afford to reduce tuition in such a sluggish economy.
“Our enrollment is decreasing, making it harder for us to continue to offer the necessary services to our students.