Catholic school to get extra funds

A private Roman Catholic school in Costa Mesa was one of 25 schools awarded money from the Orange Catholic Foundation to boost enrollment next year, foundation officials announced Tuesday.

St. Joachim Parish School, 1964 Orange Ave., will receive $15,000 from the foundation to boost its enrollment in the 2009-10 academic year by using the funds to offset tuition costs for families who need it.

The Orange Catholic Foundation has allocated more than $1.1 million to help 25 Orange County Catholic schools keep their students enrolled at a time when school districts statewide are facing budget challenges.

Families interested in taking advantage of the grants to enroll their children should contact their school directly with questions regarding enrollment and financial aid criteria.

All 42 elementary and secondary Catholic schools in the county are listed at www.occatholicschools.org.

— Joseph Serna