The Holy Trinity Catholic School Division (HTCSD) in Moose Jaw raised $4,875.80 for the national Toonies for Tuition program, which helps families who want a Catholic education for their children in provinces or territories with limited or no public funding for Catholic school systems.
“So, Toonies for Tuition was something that was created back in 2006 by the Canadian Catholic Schools Trustees Association,” explained Ward Strueby, director of education at HTCSD.
“It was to support students where Catholic education wasn’t fully funded. That fully funded education for K-12 students only takes place in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories, so Toonies for Tuition helps support students from across Canada to get a Catholic education.”
The goal each year at HTCSD is to raise $2 per student and staff member in each of the division’s 10 schools. There are six elementary schools in Moose Jaw, and two high schools, and HTCSD also administers Christ the King Elementary School in Shaunavon and All Saints Catholic Elementary School in Swift Current.
The HTCSD board recently heard that last year, Saskatchewan schools raised a total of $23,801 — Holy Trinity raised $4,875.80 of that, second only to the Prince Albert Catholic School Division. The top raising schools in terms of dollars per student were St. Margaret at $3.40 a student, All Saints at $2.77 a student, and Christ the King at $2.73 a student.
“Each year, there is an award for the province that raises the most money,” Strueby explained. “Last year, for instance, Saskatchewan raised the most money per capita of Catholic students.
“Students apply, throughout Canada, to the CCSTA (Canadian Catholic Schools Trustees Association), and what they do is they look at the applications and they support families to help pay tuition in provinces that aren’t fully funded.
“If anybody is interested in making a donation to Toonies for Tuition, we can definitely help them out with that. We do have information up on our websites where they can donate, and any donations that we receive that are over $25 would quality for a tax donation slip.”