Annual Fund
Dear Alumni, Parishioners, Parents, and Friends,
Little Flower Catholic School opened its doors on August 9, 2023 with a significant increase in enrollment, largely due to the closing of Holy Cross Catholic School. We are happy to welcome so many new students to our Little Flower family, and we pray that they continue to grow in the same Trojan spirit that we all know and love.
With increased enrollment come new challenges, such as finding and retaining a staff of teachers who are not only dedicated to their craft, but also value the feeling of community with which Little Flower so closely identifies. However, our generous supporters consistently make our challenges lighter. As you know, Little Flower conducts an Annual Fund drive beginning in November of each year in conjunction with our All-Class Reunion. Proceeds from last year’s appeal allowed us to renovate an old girls’ restroom into two spacious accessible restrooms which will be used primarily by visitors who attend kickball games and tournaments during the fall and spring.
This year we are taking a different approach. This year we plan to honor our devoted teaching staff. Please take a moment or two and remember some of the teachers who had a profound impact on your life. Your educational experience probably would not have been the same without those teachers. In our effort to educate our students to become successful adults, we know and believe that their teachers make all the difference.
Did you know that 44% of teachers (public and private schools) leave the profession in the first five years? Also, 20% of teachers nationally have a second job during the school year. 84% of teachers spend their own money on their classrooms, with a national average of $750 per year. In Indiana, 3,300 teaching positions currently remain unfilled, and as of July 2023, 80% of Indianapolis Catholic schools had teaching vacancies. Starting salaries for Catholic school teachers in our area are at least $10,000 less than those of public school teachers.
These staggering statistics have led us to a desire to begin a Teacher Bonus Program that will reward dedicated educators. In this new program, full-time salaried teachers will earn a bonus of $5,000 with every five years of service. Current teachers who have already accumulated five years of service will receive the bonus in the first year of the program. With your help, we can make this program happen.
Therefore, we are establishing a goal of $120,000 for this year’s Annual Fund in order to begin and help sustain this program. Going forward, a portion of each year’s Annual Fund will go towards this program to maintain the funding. The enclosed brochure will highlight the importance of the Annual Fund. We have accomplished so much in recent years due in the most part to your consistent generosity. We never take that for granted.
For those who are able, we invite you to begin or increase your investment in Little Flower School through a donation to this year’s Annual Fund. You can be significant in the lives of our children through your generous financial gift and can help us to carry on the tradition and promise of Little Flower.
Thank you for any help you can provide. Please continue to pray for God’s continued blessings on our school.
If you prefer to mail a donation, here is a donation card for our annual fund. Please mail your donation to:
Little Flower School Annual Fund
4720 E. 13th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46201