What is the Shepherds’ Fund Endowment?
Walk the halls of any of our Springfield Catholic Schools and hear students engaged in growing in their Catholic faith, serving their community, and learning their curriculum with unmatched joy and enthusiasm. This educational experience is a testament to the teachers and staff that are the heart of the Springfield Catholic Schools System.
To honor the work and passion of these incredible educators and to continue to retain and attract new educators, SCS launched The Shepherds’ Fund, an endowment that specifically supports our teachers and staff. The goal of this endowment is to make our compensation package more competitive by increasing the value of their salaries and benefits.
Teachers and educational staff are called to educate and shape our SCS students. They view their work of educating the whole child - spiritually, academically, physically, and socially - as a ministry. We are blessed they have chosen to serve our community while recognizing they are compensated far less than surrounding districts.
What is the Shepherds’ Fund Endowment?
To honor the work and passion of our incredible educators and to continue to retain and attract new educators, SCS launched The Shepherds’ Fund, an endowment that specifically supports our teachers and staff. The goal of this endowment is to make our compensation package more competitive by increasing the value of their salaries and benefits.
Securing Our Future, Supporting Our Faculty
Why is The Shepherds’ Fund essential to Springfield Catholic Schools?
The Shepherds’ fund endowment provides a way to address these discrepancies through efforts to attract, retain, and support teachers and staff. It also honors the many generations who have helped plant, sow, and nurture our strong Catholic roots in the Springfield area through the growth and success of Springfield Catholic Schools. The Shepherds’ Fund seeks to continue this tradition by providing a perpetual income stream to attract and retain the best possible individuals that we entrust our children with each and every day.
Their passion for Catholic education is what got them here. The Shepherds’ Fund seeks to offer competitive compensation that honors their work and passion to keep them in our schools and classrooms.
With fewer individuals choosing to become teachers and higher competitor compensation, recruiting and retaining the best candidates is difficult. The Shepherds’ Fund is facing this challenge head-on by working to increase teacher and staff salaries, adding to the list of reasons to be a part of the Catholic school community in Springfield, MO.
Where are we in our goals for The Shepherds’ Fund?
Since the launch of the endowment in 2020, SCS starting faculty salaries have increased by 28%. This positions SCS to continue to attract and retain quality candidates who are passionate about providing a Christ-centered learning environment and rigorous academic experiences.
Unlike tuition and annual gifts, endowment contributions are never spent. Instead, they are invested and the return supports our schools in perpetuity. The original donation remains in the endowment to allow it to continue to grow and will touch countless lives for generations to come.
Because of the generous donations of SCS supporters, the 1st milestone was met early when the fund reached $5,000,000 in March of 2022. Help us reach the 2025 goal of $10,000,000 by donating now. Rest assured that your investment will impact SCS lives for generations to come.
Join the many who have chosen to donate to support by donating to The Shepherds’ Fund. Your donation will support our dedicated teachers and staff now and ensure the future of Springfield Catholic Schools.
