The Ryan Foundation | Music in Catholic Schools

The Ryan Foundation recently donated $67,197 to Archdiocese of Omaha, Music in Catholic Schools in June of 2022.

The Music in Catholic Schools program has served the Archdiocese of Omaha for 43 years. They are a parent-paid program that teaches instrumental music to students in 5th through 8th grades at 27 parochial schools in the Omaha Metro area. The organization will be entering their 20th year of tiered tuition levels that offer students on free and reduced lunch a reduced fee to cover band tuition.

The Music in Catholic Schools organization requested a total of $67,197 to support their program, including $15,000 for tuition assistance, $13,947 for instrument purchases, and $38,250 to supplement teacher pay over two years. The tuition assistance will greatly increase the ability of the organization to help all disadvantaged students to participate in the music program of their choice. The organization has historically heavily relied on instrument donations, but now needs several instruments that aren’t typically donated including baritone saxophones (3x), piccolo’s (3x), and a new bass drum. Teacher pay supplements will be crucial to retaining quality teachers in the catholic school music programs. For the next two years, Omaha Public Schools will be paying a $4,500 stipend to each of their returning music teachers. This, coupled with an already higher pay scale, makes it difficult for the archdiocese to keep quality teachers in their music programs. With three full-time teachers, one administrator, and one part time teacher, $19,125 is being requested per year for two years to give their team the same additional benefit that Omaha Public Schools is offering their staff.

For more information about Music in Catholic Schools, please visit their website.