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Piper Trust awards Catholic schools $8 mil
Grant money to be used in improving 25 elementary schools
By Ambria Hammel, The Catholic Sun
March 17, 2008
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust awarded $8 million to the Diocese of Phoenix last week to make needed elementary school building improvements to address important health and safety issues.
The capital grant follows a needs assessment of the 25 Catholic elementary schools in Maricopa County.
The schools will begin improvements as soon as this summer. Projects will stretch out over the next three years.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and MaryBeth Mueller, superintendent of the diocese’s Catholic schools, accepted the first part of the grant in a check presentation March 10.
“This significant commitment was very deliberative, with research and planning identifying the most critical health and safety needs at these elementary schools,” said Judy Jolley Mohraz, Piper Trust president and CEO.
“Because Virginia Piper was deeply committed to Catholic education in her lifetime,” she added, “we are pleased to honor her by continuing to make strategic investments to support Catholic schools and opportunities for strong academic and spiritual education.”
Following a four-month independent facility assessment, which the Piper Trust also funded, Catholic schools officials created a list of priority needs for each elementary school. The Piper Board of Trustees decided to fund all priorities in the “critical” category.
These items generally cover basic structural and equipment requirements at the school buildings, such as installing proper lighting, safety equipment and heating and cooling systems, and repairing leaking roofs, faulty electrical wiring and outdated plumbing.
“Part of it is directly related to the age of the schools,” Mueller said, so the number of projects at each school varies.
Some campuses may upgrade their security system or repave their parking lot.
“We hope to do something at most of the schools over the next year,” Mueller said.
The architect worked with each site to make sure it fit with administration’s plan for the campus.
Bishop Olmsted is grateful for the generosity The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust shows Catholic students.
“This grant honors the special concern [Virginia Piper] had for the educational needs of our children,” the bishop said.
The $8 million grant is a first for Catholic elementary schools in the diocese, but will be added to the $24.5 million in capital grants that has supported Catholic education since the Piper Trust was established in 1999.
The Piper Trust first awarded $22 million in grants to the six local Catholic high schools to enhance facilities and strengthen programs that fostered growth. Catholic preschools and kindergartens later received $800,000 for capital improvements and a curriculum needs assessment.
The Piper Trust has invested $32.5 million over the past eight years in its “Strengthening Catholic Education” initiative.
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