By Tyler Kulp
Diocese of Wilmington
When I stepped into Catholic school leadership in 2015, I quickly learned a vital lesson: a school’s mission is only as strong as its operational vitality. At my very first budget meeting, before I could apply my principal training, I was presented with a $100,000 shortfall and told we were not going to make the final two payrolls.
Welcome to the principal’s office.
By the grace of God, we made it through that year, but I knew quickly that exploring new funding opportunities had to be my priority. At the time, North Carolina was rolling out its State Opportunity Scholarship. In 2016, I started with just four students on the scholarship, bringing a modest $16,800 to our budget. By 2021, nearly 100 of our students were receiving the scholarship—injecting over $420,000 into our school’s operation. Enrollment grew from 140 students to nearly 230, and today that school sits at full capacity with 265 students. State scholarship funding changed the course of that school forever, helping put hundreds more children on a pathway to sainthood.
Today, those lessons are even more urgent as we face a national opportunity: the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC).
Much like North Carolina’s program in its early days, the FSTC is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at expanding educational choices for families. Under this federal program, individuals and corporations can receive a tax credit for donating to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). In turn, these SGOs provide families with scholarships — up to $1,700 per child — to cover tuition, tutoring, special needs services, and other educational expenses.
The FSTC offers an unprecedented opportunity to invest directly in the future of all students across public, charter, Catholic and independent schools. However, these resources remain locked until state leaders step up. To unlock these tax credits and keep federal tax dollars right here in our local communities, state leadership in Maryland and Delaware must formally opt in to participate and designate qualified SGOs.
This issue is deeply personal for my family. In North Carolina, my daughter received the Opportunity Scholarship, and my son was scheduled to receive it until we moved here for my new job — a program that saved our family up to $8,400 in tuition payments. The FSTC could be the spark that creates those exact same opportunities for families right here in our diocese.
Could you imagine the enrollment growth, the new academic opportunities, and the young souls we could reach if this funding comes through? Can you imagine how many families in our parishes could finally afford a Catholic education for their children with a $1,700 credit?
By opting in, our governors can help hard-working families, strengthen our teachers’ futures, and allow our diocesan schools to achieve long-term financial health and operational vitality. But it requires OUR VOICE to move the needle. State leaders need to hear from us today.
