I should probably shut my mouth, but I am beginning to take this "attack" on private schools personally.

Pretty simple math in Hays. If you are a parishoner of one of the eight Catholic parishes in the community and you tithe, your cost to attend TMP-Marian is $200. If you are not Catholic or a member of another parish, the cost is $9,000. We have a generous annual trust and endowment that helps off-set this cost, but parents must apply for financial aid by submitting their tax returns to an independant company out of state. That company determines the financial ability of families to pay. This year we did not refuse any applications, nor have we thrown any one out of school this year. Not sure how that gives us an unfair advantage.

I will tell you that the pressure to succeed at this school is high. A 70 is a D-. 96-100 is an A. We have uniforms, hair codes, piercing codes, we have high expectations. Some parents and kids simply don't want that kind of environment. The expectation is that you will get involved, yet no one has been removed for not participating in activities. It does cost money, but is a family by family decision based on what their level of stewardship is. Only 40% of Catholic eigth graders pre-enrolled at TMP. That is actually above average. Personally, I think that number should be 100% So I try to recruit the tithing Catholic kids in Hays to attend Catholic school because their parishes are paying for it. If we do not have students, we do not have a school. Face it, we are in constant competition with public schools for students. If we lose our Catholic identity, we lose our school. However, parents don't always base their decisons soley on the faith fact, they should, but of course they don't. We must be successful spiritually, academically and athletically or we will not have a school. Every student that enrolls here understands that. We get beat in plenty of stuff. I am just pissed for being penalized by a system, where we haven't denied a single student admission, 60% of parents don't send their kids here anyways, and the kids that do take on the challenge of higher expectations get penalized

If you want some equality, let me hit up the public's dime for a new building (ours was built in 1921), a new track (we don't have one) and auxillary gym (our single "pit" was built in 1951) then I might consider the value of a multiplier.