Nativity School Fund
Introduction
Welcome to our Nativity School Fund portal. This page will introduce a transparent snapshot of the schools needs and how they are met. Please consider supporting our school. Whether you are an alumnus, a current parent, a parishioner, or a supporter of Catholic education, you likely already know the blessings this amazing school provides and the seeds it plants in society for generations. Today, perhaps more than ever, this mission matters. Please consider supporting our school.
Tuition Assistance: Accessibility for Families
Security Protocols
& Student Care
Faculty: Compensation & Benefits
How are the funds used?
The Nativity School Fund is 100% is earmarked for school expenses.
Funds are used in three areas:
SCHOOL BUDGET BACKGROUND
The school has always been sustained through a balance of tuition, parish contributions, and fundraising. Each year brings new challenges to solve. As the world tries to make educating children endlessly experimental and expensive, we stay true to our timeless roots. Despite various external factors, we've been able to offer academic excellence, a Christ-centered culture, safety, and joy.
The greatest challenge in a Catholic school budget is keeping tuition as low as possible to accommodate families with school age children, while facing costs that are rising every year. In recent years, massive inflation that has affected nearly every budgeted line item. Over the last decade, the fixed costs of operating our two-class-per-grade elementary school have grown from $2.6 million to $3.6 million annually (less capital investments). Although we operate at a fraction of the cost, publicly funded schools in various counties across Colorado have been consolidating or closing schools at record rates in light of operational cost increases and demographic decline in school age children. At an enrollment level of 400, the cost to educate each child is $8,713. Our cost to educate is now $1,113 above our $7,600 affiliated tuition, and $2,024 above our average tuition payment (less tuition assistance.)
Average student subsidy for current enrollment is $2,024.
These budget issues can be solved through a combination of the following factors:
• Increased Tuition — We would like to do this in a stepped approach over the years to help our families. For many years, tuition increases were modest (about 2–3% annually) while expenses rose nearly 10%. To align tuition more closely with real costs, larger increases are now being considered, possibly phased in over several years, alongside continued financial aid support to protect affordability.
• Increased Enrollment — Filling open desks will lower the cost to educate each child. A full school balances budget. As our two class per grade school is fully staffed, any increased enrollment would reduce the cost to educate each student. In short, we need to recruit more families to help lower the cost to each family. Let's share our school and we'll do more to provide better community school marketing.
• Increased Fundraising — We believe our community has the resources to provide this opportunity. It is often the case that Catholic schools may not equip families with ideas to raise tuition among extended family members, or not make our needs known or clear to alumni or foundations. This is a group effort!
2024–2025 ACTUAL RESULTS SNAPSHOT
Generous fundraising and parish savings allowed us to meet record expenses and build a foundation for the future. Tuition increases were held to 2.5%, while expenses rose closer to 10%. Bridging this gap required full enrollment, strong fundraising, and parish reserves. In 2024–2025, the school also required major capital investments totaling $700,000 (HVAC, roofing, and other infrastructure). Parents contributed over $400,000 through fundraising, led by the annual Knight of Joy Gala.
Overview
Expense Categories: $4,204,900*
Sources of Revenue: $4,204,900*
Details
2025–2026 PROJECTED BUDGET SNAPSHOT
FAQs
It's appropriate that our budget focuses on our greatest operational asset: 83% of total expenses compensate our amazing faculty and staff! As compensation decisions are largely set by archdiocesan policy, this becomes close to a fixed cost. We are currently fully staffed to serve a full two track school.
Widening unbudgeted gap: As you see above, even since having our budget approved last May, we have incurred increased costs:
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Need for Accessibility: We have a record number of students who qualify for assistance.
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Student Support Team: We have increased our student care services (50 students have used these services already this year).
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Safety & Security: At the request of most school families and the recommendation of parish leadership, the School Advisory Council (SAC) and Parish Finance Council have approved upgraded security measures. Learn more about our security measures HERE. NOTE: A full-time security company providing properly trained officers during school hours will cost around $87,000/year.
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Revenue loss through natural matriculation: In May, Nativity will likely graduate 55 students for the second year in a row (that’s a loss of 110 students). These were the school’s two largest classes. The new average grade size will fall to only 37.5 beginning next year (18 per class).
Overview
Expense Categories: $3,654,600
Sources of Revenue: $3,416,350
Details
