From the Desk of Doug Goltz, CAO
How does Sacred Heart School ensure its financial sustainability for the future? Our school’s funding is built upon four key pillars: tuition, parish assessments, the Sacred Heart Foundation, and our various fundraising initiatives, which includes the Booster Auction, Booster Memberships, the Annual Fund, Parchen Farm, fundraisers like greenery sales, butter braids, Husker seatbacks, and several others. Fundraising plays a critical role in supporting our operational budget. Volunteerism helps keep our costs down.
At our August Foundation Board meeting, one of our board members told me I need to stress more the simple math of how our school operates financially. $9,000 – $3,000 = $6000 It takes approximately $9,000 to educate each of our students at Sacred Heart. If we took our expenses and divided by our enrollment, it averages out to about $9,000 per student. Our tuition is approximately $3,000. For 2025-26, HS students’ tuition is $3,300 and K-8 is $2,900. And $6,000 is the difference that we must come up with after parents pay their children’s tuition, which is about one-third of the total cost. That $6,000 comes from the sources listed above in paragraph one and a big part of that is fundraisers and volunteerism.
Our tuition is designed to be affordable, currently the lowest among Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Lincoln. Additionally, many families benefit from financial support programs, which enable them not to pay the full tuition amount. These programs include the Diocesan Good Shepherd Scholarship, the Sacred Heart Guardian Angel Scholarship, the Diocese Work Ethic Grant for juniors and seniors, the Sacred Heart Staff Discount, and the Sacred Heart Fourth Child Free Scholarship. We aim to keep tuition affordable to ensure that all families can consider Sacred Heart as an option. This affordability is made possible through the generous contributions of individuals who support our school financially. If you wish to help maintain affordable tuition, consider donating to the Sacred Heart Guardian Angel Fund, which assists families in need who do not qualify for the Good Shepherd Scholarship, or contribute to the Sacred Heart Annual Fund, which directly aids our operating budget.
The Diocese Work Ethic Grant for juniors and seniors, established three years ago, provides significant support. Sponsored by the Peed Family of Sandhills Global, this grant offers up to $1,000 per student. It allows juniors and seniors to submit a record of up to 200 hours of work during the summer, compensated at $5 per hour. Students can account for time spent in various capacities, including paid employment, childcare, family farming, yard work, and more. This is then applied to the students’ tuition. The Peed Family’s initiative aims to recognize and promote productive work among our students, and we extend our gratitude to the Peed’s for their support in keeping our tuition low.
As with most schools, our largest expenses are salaries and benefits. We remain committed to improving our teachers’ compensation and benefits, having made notable progress over the past six years. Our teachers have one of the higher base salaries within the Diocese for schools located outside of Lincoln, and our benefits are also competitive.
The Sacred Heart Annual Fund requires continued strong support. Established eight years ago, it aims to bridge the gap between our expenses and income. This year, we have allocated a budget of $125,000 for the Annual Fund, while last year it generated $142,001. Give a one-time annual gift or set up a monthly EFT. The Annual Fund directly helps our school now. For those interested in long-term contributions, donating to the Sacred Heart Foundation (Endowment) is an excellent option. Established in 1984, the Sacred Heart Endowment generates interest in helping sustain our school financially. This year, we anticipate that the Foundation will provide $370,000 to our school. If you are considering estate planning, think about leaving a percentage of stock, bond, or IRA to support our school, or you might wish to include Sacred Heart School as a beneficiary in your will. For assistance with these giving options, please reach out to our Advancement Director, Renee Kopf, or Steve Kottich, who has volunteered to help with estate planning contributions.
Thank you to all who support Sacred Heart School. Thank you for your donations, volunteerism, and prayers.
Sacred Heart School – a family educating heart, mind, body and spirit for this life and the next. Thank you.
Doug Goltz, CAO
