Posted October 30, 2013

St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls in Northeast Philadelphia hosted area business leaders, local politicians and the families of students who benefited from EITC scholarships during a presentation Monday, Oct. 28.

Aegis Security Insurance, Chesapeake Energy, CSX Transportation, Enterprise Holdings, Malady & Wooten, Penn Jersey Paper, United Healthcare Community Plan and Waste Management participated in Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program in collaboration with the Bridge Educational Foundation to award $268,950 of EITC tuition scholarships to students from 19 Catholic schools.

The Catholic schools, among other non-Catholic private schools located mostly in Northeast Philadelphia except where noted, included: Archbishop Ryan High School, Father Judge High School, Little Flower High School, St. Hubert High School, West Catholic Preparatory High School, Nazareth Academy Grade School and High School, Holy Innocents School, Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School, Our Mother of Sorrows and St. Ignatius Primary School, Resurrection Regional Catholic School, St. Anselm School, St. Cecilia School, St. Christopher School, St. Dominic School, St. Martin of Tours School, St. Matthew School and St. Veronica School, plus St. Hilary of Poitiers School in Rydal, Montgomery County.

Also attending the event in support of the EITC program were state Sens. Mike Stack and Christine Tartaglione and Reps. John Taylor, John Sabatina, Kevin Boyle, Ed Neilson and Brendan Boyle. Joseph Steadman attended the event on behalf of Rep. Rosita Youngblood.

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“Bridge Educational Foundation serves as the bridge between generous businesses like the ones here today to Pennsylvania families,” said the foundation’s Joseph Gerdes. “We are pleased be a part of one of the most innovative and successful education programs in the country. Our partnerships with forward-thinking corporations make it possible to help thousands of families each year with tuition aid.”

The scholarship donations are part of the Pennsylvania Pre-Kindergarten and K-12 EITC programs. The Pre-Kindergarten initiative provides companies with a tax credit equal to 100 percent of the first $10,000 contributed to a pre-kindergarten scholarship organization during the taxable year, and may receive a tax credit equal to 90 percent of any additional amount contributed during the year, up to a maximum of $200,000 per year though the Pre-K program.
The K-12 EITC tuition program provides companies with a 75 percent tax credit – 90 percent for a two-year commitment – for funds donated to approved, non-profit scholarship or educational improvement organizations businesses may donate up to $400,000 per year though the K-12 program.

The following day, Oct. 29, Bridge also announced tuition scholarship awards totaling $97,575 at St. Anthony of Padua Regional School in South Philadelphia.

Families of students who have received the scholarships represented the following Catholic schools: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Gabriel, St. Monica and St. Thomas Aquinas elementary schools and SS. John Neumann and Maria Goretti high School in South Philadelphia; Our Lady of Hope and St. Peter the Apostle elementary schools and St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in North Philadelphia; and Mary Mother of Peace Area Catholic School in Southwest Philadelphia.

Associated Wholesalers Inc., BDB Co., CSX Transportation, Conestoga Bank, Enterprise Holdings, Penn Jersey Paper and Select Medical/Novacare joined area public figures for the check presentation, including state Sen. Lawrence Farnese and Reps. Bill Keller (a Bridge board member), Jordan Harris and Maria Donatucci.

During the two days of events Bridge presented $366,525 in EITC scholarships with business partners for the families of nonpublic school students, most of whom attend Catholic schools in the city.