One Year After Tuition Cut, Enrollment Trend Turns Upward at St. Bernadette School

Would this help St. James School?

 

By Amanda Hudson, News editor

ROCKFORD—Principal Beth Heitkamp has been busy studying photos and memorizing the names of students who will begin their first year at St. Bernadette School on Aug. 24.

This year, that’s a big job.

Heitkamp credits St. Bernadette pastor, Father Kenneth Stachyra, and St. Bernadette parishioners for “pouring their hearts and souls into keeping the school open.” Early this year, in an effort to reverse several years of a dramatic, downward trend in the school’s enrollment, the parish dropped tuition at St. Bernadette School by 40 percent across the board. The annual tuition for one student, for example, went from $2,900 to $1,750.

Heitkamp happily reports that the tuition reduction strategy is working — with some surprises.

 

Click on the following for more details:  http://observer.rockforddiocese.org/Archives/2011Archives/August122011/Enrollment%20Trend/