Thursday, April 28th, 2005 in
The dirty little not-so-secret secret in public education is that Catholic schools in New York somehow manage to succeed in teaching kids where public schools can’t.
And for a whole lot less money.
So it’s great news that the Archdiocese of New York has launched a new $24 million initiative, known as the Cardinal’s Scholarship Program.
The effort is being led by the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, the Endowment for Inner-City Education and the Patrons Program. It will provide some 2,000 kids from poor families a precious chance to attend a Catholic elementary school. The group will dole out some $3 million a year for eight years, beginning this fall.
Individual scholarships – families can get as much as $1,950 toward tuitions averaging about $2,680 a year – will help the schools sustain enrollment at a time when attrition, and rising costs, have sapped the financial health of many Catholic schools, forcing some to close.
But most important, it will give kids a chance to escape the utterly hopeless public-education monopoly and acquire a sound schooling, giving them – at the least – a proper start in the work world.
Parents interested in applying for a scholarship can attend open houses at Cardinal Hayes HS in The Bronx and Cathedral HS in Manhattan at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and on May 7.
Parents are advised to bring copies of their tax and financial-assistance records. More information is available at scholarshipfund.org/nyc/apply.
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