Press Release
NORTH PLATTE – The success of a fundraising campaign launched last spring is making an immediate and historic impact at the North Platte Catholic Schools. The NPCS Endowment-Trust, Inc. kicked off the Founded on Excellence campaign in April 2025 with a goal to increase teacher salaries at St. Patrick’s Jr/Sr High, McDaid Elementary, and Little Leprechaun Preschool. The aim is to address both teacher retention and recruitment. Additional goals of the campaign are to complete a handful of much-needed capital improvements at St. Pat’s and McDaid.
Because of the early success of the campaign, the Endowment was able to designate $100,000 to the current, 2025/2026 school year operating budget for faculty salary increases. Endowment Director Wendy Dodson presented a check to NPCS Superintendent Kevin Dodson on January 29th
. “We have been thrilled with the initial positive response to the campaign. It is clear that our school patrons and our local community are in full support of our efforts to better compensate teachers,” says Mrs. Dodson. She notes that gifts and pledges to the campaign currently total $3,439,495, just shy of the Endowment’s Challenge goal of $3.5 Million.
Dodson says she is hopeful the campaign momentum will continue through the current school year. “We will not stop until we pass the $3.5 Million mark. Our Pinnacle goal is $4 Million.” A portion of the campaign funds are earmarked for renovations to activities restrooms and boys’ locker rooms at St. Pat’s, and flooring and lighting at McDaid. The bulk of
the campaign will be designated to a restricted fund for faculty salary increases. Dodson notes that gifts and pledges can be made to the Founded on Excellence campaign by contacting the NPCS Endowment office at 308-534-5939, [email protected], or online at: https://apps.npcschools.org/donate-now.