St. Benedict Catholic School Endowment

Specific Need

To provide scholarship assistance to those children wanting to attend a Catholic grade school who may not have the financial means to do so.

Mission

The mission is to help insure the long term future of Catholic education for grade schoolchildren in Atchison and the surrounding area.

Profile

St. Benedict Catholic School, located in the heart of Atchison, Kansas, has a distinguished history that began with its founding by Benedictine sisters in 1863. The school has undergone a number of changes and challenges while remaining steadfast in its commitment to the Catholic faith. In 2004, the school dealt with a fire that destroyed a building but eventually brought together the elementary and middle schools under one building. Originally named St. Scholastica Academy and undergoing other name changes since its inception in 1863, the school’s moniker was changed to its current name of St. Benedict Catholic School in 2012, aligning it the newly merged parish, St. Benedict Parish. Hard hit by financial difficulties of the national financial crisis of the early 2000’s, the school gradually introduced tuition assessments starting in 2013, which have played a pivotal role in enhancing its financial stability.

In 2019, St. Benedict Catholic School was awarded the Catholic Education Foundation School of Excellence Award granted by the Archdiocese of Kansas City-Kansas’ education foundation. SBCS was lauded for being Joyfully Catholic, Diligently Achieving, Intentionally Self-Giving, Prudently Managed, Forwardly Thinking, School Sustainability & Stability. SBCS was chosen as 2nd finalist for this same award in 2022, was picked as a 1st finalist in 2023, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann CEF School of Excellence award for 2024.

The endowment is to create and maintain long term investments to provide financialsupport to St. Benedict Catholic Grade School.