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Why
Your Gift to Nova Classical Academy Matters.
- A
Rigorous Public Education...
- High-quality,
public education in the classical tradition
Nova Classical Academy's quality rivals any school, public or private, in the state of Minnesota.
Nova's students
routinely score near the top of government-mandated
standardized tests, and in fact have posted some of
the highest scores.
As
a public charter school, Nova's top-flight education
is free for all its students. Says one Nova parent:
- "I
give generously to Nova, because if my children were
not enrolled here, I would be paying private-school
tuition for them elsewhere.'
How
will Nova use donations?
Nova
has four financial priorities:
- Fund the science lab at Nova's
upper school
- Replace money needed to finance
the increase in holdback
- Training teachers in the classical
tradition, with a concentration on language arts,
history and mathematics;
- Providing expanded resources,
specifically a bigger library and more technology
These priorities
cannot be met without donations from individuals and
foundations.
- "Nova
is a school that takes pride in our staff and student
body. Parents also play a very important role in the
establishment of Nova. They volunteer continuously
and give financial support, which helps the school
in becoming a top performing school in Minnesota." Ellie Fung, 8th
Grade Graduate, 2008
Does
Nova have other sources of income?
In
addition to public funds, Nova received two grants totaling
$230,000 from the Walton Family Foundation in 2002 and
2006. These funds covered start-up costs and recruiting
faculty, providing professional development for faculty, implementing the classical
curriculum, purchasing the necessary technology and
expanding the facilities.
These funds are now depleted and must be replaced.
Although
Nova continues to seek grant aid,
individual giving must also be a part of this equation.
For any nonprofit,
individual giving is the most reliable and sustainable
source of contributions. Individual giving has been an important part
of Nova's financial success and will become especially
important as Nova fulfills its mission and adds a high
school.
Nova
has a commitment not to ask families to sell items such
as candy and wrapping paper to help support the school.
Instead, to pay
for teacher training, enhanced curricular materials,
and educational equipment, the school raises funds primarily
through the Nova Annual Appeal
and the Nova Community Auction.
Some
parents choose to help finance the Nova PTO, which uses
its money for school events and teacher appreciation,
through participation in the annual Barnes and Noble book sale, the box Tops for Education
program, Scrip and similar programs.
These fundraisers help enhance the quality of
community life for Nova, and funds raised in excess
of Nova PTO needs are donated to Nova to help cover
training and materials, but they are not primarily used
for essential educational expenses.
Why
give to a school that receives public funds?
In
Minnesota, all public schools,
district and charter, receive per-capita funds from
the state. Nova and other charter schools also receive per-capita
lease aid to offset building rental costs.
District
public schools do not receive lease aid, but school
boards can request more money from property owners in
the district through a public referendum to levy taxes.
Charter schools
are without districts and cannot increase their funding through levies.
When all sources
of public funds are added up, the difference translates
into a $3,000 gap per pupil on average for charter schools
(source: Joe Nathan, director, Center for School Change,
University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Institute
of Public Affairs).
Nova
is a fiscally responsible school that operates in the
black. Nova's success is evidenced not only by academic
achievement but by the ever-growing list of prospective
students. To maintain Nova's educational standards and
achieve the full vision for the school, we must raise
funds from inside and outside the Nova community.
- "As
a teacher, I am able to teach a curriculum that is
interesting and challenging to my students. In this
endeavor, I am a partner with the parents in educating
my students, and, together, we create students who
will become thoughtful, articulate life-long learners."
Becky Lund, Teacher, 2nd Grade
How
do I give to Nova?
You
may give to Nova online HERE
or by sending a check to:
Nova
Classical Academy
426 Osceola Avenue S
Saint Paul, MN
55102
- Please let us know if your employer
will match your donation.
- Donations to Nova are tax-deductible.
- Donors will be recognized in an
annual report, to be published in August.
With
the support of generous individuals, Nova can continue
to grow and provide the high-quality public education
for which it is known.
- "When
I found out that my daughter and her husband were
so pleased with what Nova was doing for one of their
children that they decided to enroll the other two,
I was confident that those children were getting a
good, solid education. As a grandfather, that's important
to me." Bill Kansas, Grandparent
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