The Hard-Facts Sheet on Sacred Heart School
4th and Jasper Streets, Camden, NJ 08104
(856) 963-1341
October 2004
Sacred Heart School is located in the poorest city in North America (when
you measure by children). Camden has a population of 79,000 people.
It had 44 murders in 2003 and has 44 murders by October 3rd, 2004
- Opened in January 1920.
- Staffed until 1969 by the Dominican Sisters, Newburgh, NY.
- Provides education for children from Kindergarten through 8th grade, regardless
of race or creed.
- The principal is Mrs. Janet Williams.
- Enrollment for the year 2004-2005 is 245 children
- The school is under the auspices of the Diocese of Camden in terms of
direction, curriculum and evaluation.
- Sacred Heart School does not receive any money from the
Diocese of Camden.
- Every family pays tuition, which amounts to about one fourth of the actual
cost.
- Tuition is $900 for one child and $1000 for two or more children. So it
averages out that the school receives less than $700 per child in tuition.
(Kindergarten is $800 per child.)
- The school's staff is made up of a principal, secretary, 9 teachers, 3
aides, a music teacher, physical education and health teacher, art and nature
teacher, and computer teacher.
- 11. In our student population we have 171 African-American, 60 Latinos, 13 Asians, and 1 white child.
- At this point in time, computer instruction and basic skills enhancement
are as important as the alphabet to help our poorer children to participate
in the world of today.
Finances for This Year, 2004-2005, with 245 Children
- This year's budget, tight as we can make it, is $729,427.
- Our cost per pupil this year is $2,945 00. Many public schools spend
more than $12,000 on each child. Because Sacred Heart is a religious school
it cannot be funded by the taxes of the nation. Not a single prayer is allowed
in U.S. public schools.
- But even with our low per-pupil cost, when tuition is paid, it still takes
many sponsors to get each child through.
- A family with one child pays $900. The actual cost is more than $2,900
per child. That family needs several sponsors paying $300 each. The
secret to saving the children of Sacred School in Camden is the generosity
of the sponsors.
- This year (2004-2005) we need to raise $606,000. We needed 2,020 sponsors.
- It is early October and we have 313 sponsors.
- You can help. Click here.
- By some great miracle we will get by. Thanks be to God!
