Standards of Excellence 10. An excellent Catholic school provides a feasible three to five year financial plan that includes both current and projected budgets and is the result of a collaborative process, emphasizing faithful stewardship.

Stewardship One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” (Proverbs 11:24) “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48b) Stewardship: Caring for the gifts and opportunities that come from God.

Stewardship Time Talent Treasure We are called to multiply the gifts given to us (Parable of the Talents). These gifts should then be dedicated to building the kingdom of God.

Our Starting Point No School Financial Data Collected or Analyzed by Catholic Schools Office Very little expertise & proactive work from Catholic Schools Office to seek out school financial performance or to identify best practices Financial issues came to light only in crisis stage – very little reaction time- usually around a school closing Our Journey…

Lighting the Way: A Vision for Catholic Schools

Need was to develop an analysis and communication tool that was: Simple – consider the customer Quick – brought attention to key areas fast Thorough – covers all the key bases Actionable – leads to action not just info In a way that did not seem overly judgmental, critical, or threatening to schools or parishes Objectives

Enrollment – not just enrollment numbers but key trends embedded in the numbers Tuition – not just rates, but related to area incomes, peer group of schools, and tuition collected Revenue – how tuition fit into overall revenue, how firm and predictable were other revenue sources Costs – reasonableness, versus peer group and impact of less than full enrollment Parish affordability – versus peer group and based on parish health Financial Solvency – given parish size, parish debt, and parish balance sheet Categories for Analysis

Sample School Scorecard

Schools close because of shortages in finances. Finances are trailing indicators. We must proactively work with schools before we reach a crisis point. There is far more to a school than finances, but good data collection, planning, and intervention can help achieve viability. In the End…

1.) How is financial data collected, analyzed, and leveraged in your own diocese to support school vitality? Final Questions 2.) As diocesan educational leaders, can we really make a difference in school finances?