Campaign to save Ingleside school hits $400,000 goal

A fundraising drive launched by a former St. Bede School student to save the Ingleside parochial school has reached its $400,000 goal.

Now the question is whether the successful campaign led by Susan Lutzke, a senior at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, will persuade the Archdiocese of Chicago not to close the school June 4.

Last month, the archdiocese gave the school a Jan. 26 deadline to come up with $400,000 if it hoped to remain open. It also said the school must show progress in increasing student enrollment, which is at 182 but needs to reach 240.

Susan and her family learned they had reached their goal Sunday during a Fund The Falcons Fiesta fundraiser in the school cafeteria. The crowd that showed up on a chilly day to enjoy music, food and children’s activities raised nearly $10,000 for the cause.

Susan, whose family lives in Ingleside, said the experience has been “surreal.”

“I don't think I ever really expected it to get as far as it did. But obviously we're super thankful,” she said.

When the campaign hit the $100,000 mark, Susan said, her mom and older brother told her to prepare herself for the flow of donations to slow down.

“It never really did,” she said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the online campaign at gofundme.com/f/saving-st-bede had reached $403,130.

“I think the important part is that it isn't the end,” said Susan’s mom, Tina Lutzke. “We're still trying to move beyond the ($400,000). So, we still have several fundraisers going on these next few weeks just to try to increase that fund.”

Lynne Strutzel, the school’s co-principal, said she is inspired by the support that has come from the St. Bede community and beyond. One donor to the GoFundMe page wrote “I’m a Muslim, but I believe in supporting my Christian brothers.”

A spokeswoman said the archdiocese expects to make a statement within the next few days.

Strutzel said St. Bede’s finances were adversely affected when Illinois lawmakers ended the Invest In Kids scholarship program, which offered tax credits to donors who provided scholarship money to low-income students at private schools.

“There are 51 kids waiting to come in who need financial assistance,” she said. “(The elimination of the program) had a dramatic effect on all those private schools that served the underserved.”

The archdiocese’s decision on St. Bede’s is expected by early February. Given that a registration push is planned during Catholic Schools Week, set for Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, Strutzel said an earlier decision would help.

“It would be nice to tell people they are registering for a school that will be open,” she added.