FAIRMONT–St. John Vianney Catholic School was the first Catholic elementary school in the country to implement an endowment. It started in 1984 with just $64,000 and has grown over the years to a robust amount that supports students, their academics and their faith.

The school came before the endowment. It opened in 1955 with 304 students in grades 1-8. Ann Harris, a long-time member of the endowment, said it was created to help fund the school. She said that Mike Garry was one of the fund’s founders.

“They worked hard and did a super job,” Harris said of those who started the endowment.

An excerpt from Garry’s book reads, “So often we drain resources from the future- e.g. budget deficits- but the Endowment Fund seeks to put something back into the future. Schools provide communities a path to the future, and an endowment provides a safety net under that path.”

The endowment gives the school a set amount each year, some in the fall which is used for beginning-of-the-year expenses like textbooks and supplies, and some in the spring,

“The money is put in the general fund and used for anything the school needs,” said Principal Sarah Striemer.

She said sometimes it’s specified what the funds should be used for and that funds from the endowment cannot be used on wages for staff. She also said they have separate funds to cover the cost of tuition scholarships.

“It’s really just used to keep the school functioning,” she said.

“We helped cover some of the outside windows to cut the utility bills. We’ve bought chairs and tables. We’ve done a lot,” Harris said.

She said the first time the board disbursed money out of the endowment to the school, it gave $1,100. Last year it gave the school a total of $136,000.

Striemer said she’s never talked to another school with an endowment as robust as SJV’s.

“A lot of schools will dip into what their principal is and then it just doesn’t grow the way ours has,” she explained. “I really think the people who have served on the endowment board over the years have been really fiscally smart people who are really prayerful about how they invest our money so that our school can be well taken care of for many years.”

Harris is one of those board members. She served for roughly 30 years, 20 as treasurer until she stepped down just recently.

She said that the endowment has grown to its current $3 million amount over the years with contributions and investments.

“It grows with donations, memorials, bequests. We have wonderful contributors whether they’re giving as a contribution or a memorial or leave it to us when they pass away. We’ve gotten houses, stocks and just plain money in wills. It’s amazing,” Harris said.

She spoke highly of the endowment members– past and present–, parish members and school staff who have all played an important role in the success of the endowment.

“We’re a busy group. We only meet once a month but we’re working all month it seems like,” Harris said, noting that the board members are all volunteers.

“I have no doubt that we will be here for many, many years to come,” Striemer said of the school.

Which is good news for the many people who have supported it over the years.

“I love SJV. All seven of my kids went there and have all been successful in what they’ve chosen to do. It’s just a great place,” said Harris.

*Editor’s Note: This article ran in the Sentinel’s Catholic Schools Week section on Jan. 29.