DACSP

Delaware Alliance of Catholic School Parents

What is the DACSP?

• All parents of Catholic School Children are members of this organization
• Individual School Representatives from every school in our Diocese
• A Core Committee reports to the Catholic School Board
• A voice in the State and Federal Legislative process

Accomplishments

• State support of funding a nurse in every school
• Preservation of Federal Title V money used mainly for library books
• Preservation of State funding for transportation
• Exempting Catholic Schools from Daycare Regulations
• Created annual “Report Card” of Catholic Schools outlining the impact of our schools
• Identification of the areas that other states fund

Why Seek More Funding?

· Catholic School parents save the state about $9,700 of our tax dollars per year, per student

· Total savings to the state of about $126,000,000 per year

· “The Blaine Amendment”, which is a provision in the constitutions of 37 remaining states including Delaware, prohibits the use of state money for sectarian schools. Our neighboring states have overturned this amendment and secured state funds to provide textbooks, tax credits, school vouchers, teacher benefits, technology and more! Read more at http://blaineamendments.org/ The DACSP is currently studying this amendment.

How can you help?

· Know that you are a member of DACSP

· Know the DACSP Representative(s) for your school:
Pamela Richardson  hprich2@comcast.net
or prichardson@sainthelenas.org
Michelle Sapp mothergoddess@verizon.net

· Know your State Legislators www.votesmart.org

· Respond timely to calls for action from your school representative to support our Catholic Schools

· Attend regional meetings of DACSP (approximately 2 per year) to insure that you are aware action items that are occurring or are on the horizon that will affect our schools

· Look for further information from your DACSP Representatives and new links on your school’s web page regarding upcoming DACSP actions to be taken to include the School Nursing issue as well as Transportation funding

· For more information contact your DACSP School Representative or

Cathy Weaver cweaver@cdow.org