Less than a month after receiving word that her Catholic grade school needed $400,000 to stay open, 17-year-old Susan Lutzke sprang into action.
St. Bede Catholic School, located in Ingleside, announced that it needed the funds by Jan. 26 for the school to stay open.
In a statement to NBC Chicago, the Archdiocese blamed the school's deficit on lawmakers who voted to end the state's "Invest in Kids" scholarship program.
The "Invest in Kids" program, which launched in 2018, allowed private donors to make contributions into a scholarship fund that provides funds for children of low-income families to be able to attend private schools. Donors receive a 75% tax break in return.
“We were all just heartbroken,” Lutzke said. “It’s one of my favorite places. It is like a second home for me.”
Lutzke said she made the fundraiser and didn't tell anyone about it, although word quickly spread and the fundraiser took off.
As of Thursday, more than $300,000 has been raised, bringing the school more than three quarters of the way to what is needed.
Susan’s efforts and the outpouring of support has touched everyone.
“It is amazing what one person can do,” Susan's mother Tina Lutzke said. “To see her and see the feedback that she is getting. It has been amazing. I cannot describe it.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
