Mary Juliano elected St. Stephen's trustee

WARWICK - Mary Juliano, chair of the annual St. Stephen’s Taste of the Town, was recently elected to the St. Stephen’s Educational Trust’s 11-member Board of Trustees. Juliano, a parishioner in the Church of St. Stephen, the First Martyr, is well-known for her volunteerism and leadership positions in parish and school organizations. “We are happy to welcome Mary,” said Ed Scharfenberger, president of the St. Stephen’s Educational Trust. “She is an extraordinarily energetic and talented person and she will be a valuable asset to our organization.” The St. Stephen’s - St. Edward’s Educational Trust was founded in 1992 to help support educational programs at the tuition-supported Warwick elementary school. It is a privately funded charitable corporation classified as a tax-exempt organization. Although annual tuition for one child at St. Stephen’s - St. Edward’s Elementary School is $3,780. the actual cost of educating each pupil is about $5,500, still substantially less than the approximately $13,000 per pupil in the public school system. “We also receive a $1,200 per student subsidy from the parish,” said Principal Mary Lou Moccia, “And our parents and other volunteers earn about $75,000 each year in fundraising events. That money is also used to keep our tuition costs low.” Moccia helps achieve that goal by wearing many hats and performing almost all of the administrative tasks. Parents who choose to send their children to St. Stephen’s also pay local school taxes. The Educational Trust helps relieve some of that financial pressure by providing much-needed funds for additional equipment and tuition assistance. The trust operates Teacher Appreciation, Student Grant and Loan, and Maintenance and Development programs. Last year, for example, it provided over $5,000 in funding for these programs. An Endowment Fund, supported by grants and private donations, along with a Legacy Society, have recently been created to provide an additional source of funding. As permitted by IRS guidelines, gifts of real and personal property to 501 c-3 organizations are tax deductible. Members of the St. Stephen’s Educational Trust also work with business and civic leaders to increase public awareness of the importance of the school to the community. And each May the Trust hosts a cocktail party as an opportunity to personally thank them for their support. When Juliano and her husband, Dr. John Juliano, returned from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Warwick in 2004, it didn’t take long for her to introduce a few fresh ideas. Taste of the Town, an idea borrowed from her former parish in Myrtle Beach became an important annual fund raiser for the school. Last year’s proceeds were more than $23,000. Juliano also became the fund-raising chairperson of the St. Stephen-St. Edward Home School Association Executive Board and also treasurer of the Athletic Board. Three of her five children are currently enrolled in the school and two others attend John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen. “Serving on the Trustees,” said Juliano, “will give me the opportunity to reach out to community members beyond our Parish and to invite everyone to appreciate and help support our wonderful school.”