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May 19, 2017
Past “Christ the Teacher” honorees were recognized at a recent fundraising event for the Endowment for the Advancement of Catholic Schools. They include, front row l to r: Michelle Puryear, Betty Mayberry, Julie Menke, Chris Melton, C.A. Williams, and Karen Phillips. Back row: Jeff Schletzer, and Therese Williams, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Nashville. Photo by Jim Burnett On May 6, the Endowment for the Advancement of Catholic Schools (EACS), which provides tuition assistance to families in need, held its first fundraising reception at Holy Family Church in Brentwood.
“Many families struggle to pay tuition,” said Dr. Therese Williams, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Nashville. “We want to assist families to keep their children in Catholic schools.”
Unfortunately, every year there are many more applicants for EACS funds than there are funds to distribute. “Last year we had over $300,000 of requests and about $25,000 to distribute,” Williams said. “EACS tries to distribute to the neediest of families. Yet, there are single parent families and families with multiple children that work hard and still need tuition assistance. Our aim is to provide assistance to as many Catholic families as possible.”
The event raised $70,000 – with donations still coming in – which will certainly help in that effort. It featured music by Holy Family Deacon John Calzavarra’s jazz group, and included an acknowledgment of all past winners of the Christ the Teacher Award, given annually to an outstanding teacher in a Catholic school in the diocese. There were also presentations by a current Catholic school student who receives tuition assistance and an alumnus whose life has been positively impacted by Catholic education.
“The evening was very successful, with a strong turnout of supporters, a powerful message about the importance of Catholic education and greater awareness of the need for financial assistance,” said Betty Lou Burnett, chair of the reception. “They have never raised funds like this before, nor has there been a public event to honor our Christ The Teacher award recipients.”
Burnett has been on the EACS board for a number of years and as a result was asked to sit on an Education Task Force initiated by Bishop David Choby in 2014. That task force was charged with exploring ways to make Catholic education more affordable. Its members identified the need for a marketing effort and proposed the concept of raising funds through a reception-type fundraiser.
The ultimate goal is for EACS, which was established in 1992, is to become a sustainable, diocesan-wide tuition assistance program.
Each school raises funds for its own individual tuition assistance programs, but those efforts don’t come close to meeting the need. “The funds that we are raising are primarily for a general fund within EACS whose beneficiaries will be determined on a case-by-case basis across all of the diocesan schools,” explained Burnett. “The development committee of the EACS board will make distribution recommendations to the bishop each year based on requests from school principals.”
That development committee includes: Father Dexter Brewer, pastor of Christ the King Church; Father David Perkin, Moderator of the Curia; and Williams, along with other EACS board members.
“I have been involved with EACS for 15 years, as long as I’ve been superintendent of Catholic schools,” said Williams. “The EACS board is very supportive and eager to see the funds grow. They were all very supportive and involved in the planning of our May 6 fundraiser.
“These children are the future of our Church and our community. We must do all that we possibly can to find a way for them to be in Catholic education if they choose to be,” Williams added.
“Catholic schools provide a significant benefit to the students who attend,” added Burnett, who is in charge of facility management and event scheduling for Holy Family Church. “But more importantly, they provide a significant benefit to every community in which these students live. Whether they are attending a Catholic school now or are a graduate of one, these students are shaping their communities through their faith and their service. Making this education available for more young men and women should energize us all, and that is why the assistance that EACS provides is so important and so beneficial.”
Organizers hope the reception marks the beginning of efforts to substantially enhance the ability of the endowment to address future demands, while also augmenting the dollars on hand to provide immediate assistance. Half of the funds raised will go to the endowment and half will be made available for current needs.
“We hope that with each year our fundraising efforts increase,” Burnett said. “We will continue to increase the awareness of EACS and the substantial need for tuition assistance through marketing efforts and word of mouth, and will continue to have these annual fundraising receptions.”
Donations are welcomed and accepted all year round. They should be made payable to EACS and sent to Betty Lou Burnett c/o Holy Family Catholic Church at 9100 Crockett Road, Brentwood, TN, 37027. Any questions about the Endowment may be directed to Burnett at 615-373-4696, ext. 223. For more information, visit www.dioceseofnashville.com/endowment-for-the-advancement-of-catholic-schools.