St. Michael Indian School gets windfall

By Kathy Helms
Dine Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — When you're a small school that depends on subsidies, donations and grants to survive, a $1 million windfall goes a long way toward planning for the future.

Such is the case with St. Michael Indian School, which this week received news that the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Bensalem, Pa., announced the award of $1 million each to St. Michael and Xavier Prep in New Orleans, both of which were founded by the Order.

Funding for the awards comes from the sale of property that had been the site of St. Catherine Indian School in Santa Fe, also operated by the Order.

Penny Emerson, chairperson of the St. Michael Board, said, "Many people, including our board members, were saddened by the loss of St. Catherine's. These funds for St. Michael Indian School help continue the legacy of quality Indian education started by St. Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament."

The awards are designed to help the schools address immediate operating and capital needs, with the primary purpose of providing funds for investment to help create future stability. The school boards are required to prepare and submit plans for the proposed use of the funds by May 1.

Founded in 1902, St. Michael receives no state or federal financial support. Aside from tuition paid by parents, which amounts to 30 percent of the overall budget, all funding to operate the school comes from subsidies, donations and grants.

In recent years, the school has had to obtain loans in order to ensure a steady cash flow throughout the year.

Dr. Joe DeFelice, executive director of St. Michael, said the school relies on grants to meet many of its needs. "Our buildings are well built, but they are also aging. We have been working for a year to raise funds for new mini-buses for our teams.

"With proper planning, these funds will augment our budget and create some future stability. They will enable our development office to focus on the future instead of the constant pressure of meeting current expenses."

The board and administration are developing a schedule of meetings to involve parents and staff in the planning process.

"We will continue to be a school with limited resources," Dr. DeFelice said. "Our per pupil cost is less than half that of public or federal schools. Our highest salaries are less than the starting salaries for any other schools, including other Catholic schools in Arizona.

"But everyone here is fulfilling the vision of St. Katharine Drexel of providing quality education within a strong moral and cultural context," he said.

Wanda Hadley, the school's alumni president, said, "For over a century, this school has vividly demonstrated what can be accomplished when you have the caring commitment of students, staff, parents and alumni. These funds will help us continue the tradition into our second century."