A real credit in a rather
tax-ing family situation

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Tom and Susan Lavin sent their two oldest children to Catholic school and want to see their two youngest kids receive a similar education.
That can be a challenge for the Lavins, who have a daughter, Courtney, who is a freshman at Gwynedd-Mercy College, and another daughter, Colleen, a sophomore at St. Hubert High School.
Shannon and Patrick Lavin attend St. Martin of Tours in Oxford Circle. She’s in fifth grade, and he is in third. Both are doing well despite learning disabilities. Shannon has second honors, just missing first honors, and is a member of the choir and basketball team. And Patrick, who recently made his Holy Communion, receives all grades of "S" for satisfactory.
"I like the discipline, and they have the IHM (Immaculate Heart of Mary) Learning Center here," Susan Lavin said. "They reinforce God, Mary, Jesus, kindness and treating everyone fairly."
Her husband echoed those sentiments.
"It’s the education part of it and the discipline in the classroom," Tom Lavin said. "Both of them need to concentrate on what the teacher is saying."
Tuition for Shannon and Patrick totals $3,420, and their parents struggle to pay it. Tom Lavin is a forklift operator for Brenntag Specialties, a chemical company on Tacony Street, and his wife is a lunch mother at St. Martin’s. A chronic back problem prevents her from working full time.
Lending a big hand is Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS), a Philadelphia-area charity organization founded in 1980.
BLOCS works closely with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia — Cardinal Justin Rigali, the archbishop, is the board’s honorary chairman — but is a separate non-profit group with an independent board of directors.
The organization promotes Catholic schools by pointing to their strong standardized test scores, high graduation and attendance rates and percentage of students going to college, adding that the archdiocese does all that much more affordably than public schools.
In 2007, BLOCS granted more than 3,800 scholarships through the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. The Lavins received $1,200. This year, BLOCS is also partnering with the city’s Children’s Scholarship Fund Philadelphia to obtain matching funds.
The EITC allows businesses to donate to roughly 200 non-profits, including BLOCS, across Pennsylvania. Participating businesses will receive a 75-percent credit toward their taxes or 90 percent for a two-year-commitment. Businesses can make a contribution of up to $200,000 and can designate the school to which their donation will go.
For parents, it’s easy. They merely provide their income tax returns and fill out a two-page application.
The Rev. John Kelly, the first-year pastor at St. Martin’s, works tirelessly to convince businesses to donate to BLOCS and specify that the money go to his school. Last year, St. Martin’s received $253,000 in funding. So far this year, the count is $130,000, with much of the money coming from PNC Bank and Carlino Industries. The scholarship money is necessary to maintain the school’s diverse enrollment of about 750.
"I see it as essential. It’s very significant to the sustenance of the school," Kelly said. "Having BLOCS for someone like the Lavins is substantial."
Besides keeping the school afloat, Kelly likes BLOCS because it keeps good families like the Lavins associated with the parish. Tom and Susan Lavin are active with CYO, the Home and School Association, Octoberfest, the annual flea market and dances.
"I’m thrilled that we can be of service and have the service of people like the Lavins," Kelly said.
Kelly said the scholarship money helps a lot of Philadelphia neighborhoods maintain its working- and middle-class families.
"BLOCS helps to sustain Oxford Circle," he said.
The Lavins lived on Loretto Avenue before moving to Shelmire Avenue in Mayfair. Still, their two youngest children continue to attend St. Martin’s.
Shannon likes her teachers, Mrs. Joanne Kerrigan and Miss Linda Isherwood, both veterans of the school. Patrick likes making friends, learning in a safe environment and playing tag in the school yard.
In addition to making tuition payments for four children, the Lavins have expensive prescription drug costs and co-payments on visits to doctors offices.
For the last three years, the BLOCS scholarships have helped the family make its monthly tuition payments.
"Every little bit helps," Susan Lavin said. "A thousand dollars saves a family a hundred dollars a month, which is huge." ••
Businesses interested in contributing to Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools can visit www.blocs.org
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com