Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) System

Fact Sheet

• The GRACE System educates over 2800 students (including over 100 students from other denominations) pre-school through Grade 8 at ten schools sponsored by 23 area parishes.

• The GRACE System serves approximately 1200 area families who invest over $4 million in their children’s education.  Current average cost to educate a child in the system is $3,663, and tuition ranges from $1,550 to $2,085.  Supporting the difference between tuition and the actual cost is a challenge.

Catholic school education in the GRACE System is accessible for low income families with over $200,000 of tuition assistance provided by fundraisers, grants, scholarships, generous donors and the All God’s Children organization.

The GRACE System employs over 300 educators and support staff with a payroll/benefits package of over $5 million supported by the tuition, Green Bay area parishes and other donors.

GRACE System students donate over 28,000 hours of service annually to the community and give many donations to food pantries and homeless shelters.

Financial investment in the GRACE System will impact consistent, high quality core programming at every school as well as specializations at specific schools, thereby improving opportunities for students receiving a Catholic faith-based, academically-challenging, 21^st century education.

Financial investment in the GRACE System will provide additional tuition assistance for families needing support and increase teacher salaries to be fair and competitive with public school salaries. 

Financial investment in the GRACE System will help to secure staffing necessary to be more efficient and cost effective with business plans, financial accounting, development efforts, coordinated marketing plans and implementation, curriculum and assessment enhancements, technology infrastructure, and cooperative purchasing. 

Financial investment in the GRACE System will help increase enrollment by 10% to over 3000 students in Pre-K through Grade 8 by 2010-11.  The transition of school operations from the parishes to the system will be almost complete by 2011-12.  Final steps will take place in 2012-13. 

Financial investment in the GRACE System represents a community-driven rebirth of a vibrant Catholic schools’ ministry in the Green Bay area.