Catholic Schools Week:
Why Lasting Support for Catholic Education Still Matters in Texas
Catholic Schools Week, celebrated each January across the Archdiocese of San Antonio, is a time to recognize the academic excellence, faith formation, and community impact of Catholic schools. It is also a moment to reflect on how Catholic education is sustained—especially as Texas introduces private school choice programs, often referred to as Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) or vouchers.
Understanding Texas’ school choice program—what it does and doesn’t do
Texas’s private school choice initiative is designed to help eligible families use public funds for certain education-related expenses, including private school tuition and instructional materials. For many families, this assistance can make Catholic education more accessible.
However, these programs are student-focused, not school-focused. They help cover part of the cost of attendance, but they are not intended to fund the full operation or long-term sustainability of Catholic schools.
While these programs can be helpful for families, they do not replace the need for strong philanthropic support of Catholic schools.
Voucher-style programs do not support:
- Technology infrastructure and modernization
- Long-term financial stability
- Campus safety and security upgrades
- Ongoing maintenance of buildings and grounds
- Facility repairs or capital improvements
Why vouchers don’t make giving to Catholic schools less important
Catholic schools are mission-driven.
Catholic schools exist to form students academically, spiritually, and morally—not to operate as profit-driven institutions. Tuition is intentionally kept as affordable as possible, and many schools rely on scholarships and assistance to serve families of all backgrounds. Philanthropy allows schools to remain accessible while maintaining high standards and a strong Catholic identity.
Sustainability requires planning beyond the school year.
Annual funding—whether through tuition, vouchers, or fundraising—help to keep the doors open today. But lasting stability comes from thoughtful stewardship and planned giving that supports schools well into the future.
How Catholic Community Foundation supports Catholic education
This is where Catholic Community Foundation plays a critical role. Catholic Community Foundation helps donors support Catholic schools and ministries in ways that are intentional, faith-aligned, and built to last.
Through tools such as:
- Endowments, which provide ongoing support year after year
- Donor Advised Funds, which offer flexible, values-based giving
- Faith-aligned investment management, guided by Catholic social teaching
Catholic Community Foundation helps transform generosity into sustainable support for Catholic education—support that is not dependent on changing policies or funding models.
Building for generations, not just today
A Catholic Schools Week invitation
Catholic Schools Week is a celebration of what Catholic education makes possible—but it is also an invitation to look ahead.
Texas school choice programs can help families enroll.
Faith-filled, long-term giving helps Catholic schools endure.
By supporting Catholic education through thoughtful, lasting generosity, donors help ensure that Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of San Antonio continue forming students in faith, knowledge, and service—for generations to come.
Click here to learn about endowments.
Click here to contact Catholic Community Foundation. .
