Capital Fundraising Campaign

History of CCS

Covenant Christian School first opened its doors on September 7th, 1976. This event was the culmination of several years of effort by members of the London and Kerwood (formerly Watford) Canadian Reformed Churches. By God’s providence and care the necessary resources were gathered and the building project was completed. It began with just two classrooms, two teachers and 20 students. The founders realized the need to have a Reformed School that created unity between the home, church, and school. They understood the role of the school is to assist parents to fulfill their covenant promises made at the baptism of their children. It was their aim to equip students to use their talents in the service of God and His kingdom. This purpose continues to be the focus at Covenant Christian School. In 2009, the current 15,000 square foot facility at 7 Howard Avenue in Lambeth was purchased. Students and staff enjoyed the increased space as well as the use of a gymnasium. The Lord has continued to bless our school community in the 42 years since the opening day. Many things have changed over that period. We are blessed to now have students from seven different Reformed churches. Our students now come from a very large area including London, St. Thomas, Strathroy, Watford, Wyoming, Aylmer, Woodstock, and everywhere in between. January 2019 marks the 10-year anniversary of CCS at 7 Howard Avenue location. Over that time, we have grown from 48 students to 157 students (a 327% increase). What a cause for celebration!

Current School Life

Our school is now bursting at the seams. With our enrolment now at 157 students with 16 staff members (9 full-time, 7 part-time) we see that the Lord has blessed us greatly. Most of the more recent changes at the school have been to manage our expanding student body. At the beginning of this year the library was moved into the portable to allow for grades 5 and 6 to be split. Our volunteers can often be found doing their work in the hallways. CCS has implemented staggered recess times in order to facilitate washroom use by the student body. Those who have attended school assemblies can attest that it is difficult to seat everyone in the current gym.

Future Growth

The enrolment forecast for 2019/2020 school year indicates an increase of seven students for a total of 164. Historically, actual enrolment has tended to exceed our enrolment forecasts. In the past 5 years our student numbers have been higher than anticipated. There is a need for more classrooms, washrooms (with improved septic system) and storage space to accommodate our growing student population. Looking ahead the board has determined it is also necessary to split grades 7 and 8 into separate classrooms in the 2019/2020 school year.

Resource Needs and Special Education

Our resource and special education program are growing and there is a need to increase the space available for these activities. Each week there may be up to 5 different therapists at the school that need a dedicated space to work.

Plans for Expansion

Covenant Christian School has reached a point where it needs to expand. This expansion must include more classrooms, storage space and washroom facilities. This expansion to address current needs and future growth is not a luxury but is a necessity. At a recent meeting the membership of Covenant Christian School approved a $1,732,000 proposal for the expansion of and renovation of our current facilities. This would include the addition of new larger gym, kitchen facilities, storage space, along with a large common area. This new common area is designed for a variety of school activities and can be turned into a classroom if future growth demands the use of this space. The addition to the school would give us the opportunity to renovate the current school to allow for needed classroom space, library, resource rooms, additional washroom facilities and new staff room. The expansion plan also includes a new septic system to accommodate our current school enrolment and allow for future growth.

Prayer and Financial Support

We desire to continue to provide Reformed education that is Covenantal, Antithetical, Confessional and has Unity of Purpose. In that way we trust that by God’s grace our school will continue to be a blessing to our parents and church communities. Considering the need stated above we are asking you to prayerfully consider how you can financially support the expansion plans of Covenant Christian School.

Ways To Give

There are unique ways of planning your gift to the Covenant Christian School Capital Campaign, some of which offer increased tax benefits. More than one type of gift combination may also work well for you. We suggest all donors seek professional advice as to their own personal financial situation.

Cash (Pledges)

Cash donations to the Campaign are acceptable as outright gifts or in the form of a pledge. Pledges are payable over a 3 and if necessary, can be extended to 5 years. Typically, a first pledge payment is made in the year in which the pledge is signed. Cash donations can be made via Cash, Cheque or e-transfer. Charitable receipts can only be issued after the pledge has been fulfilled.

In Kind

In Kind donations are at times the best way for a company to make a significant contribution to a building campaign. In Kind donations may be in the form of product or services. Each of these gifts is treated differently through Canada Revenue Agency. Charitable Tax receipts may be issued for donations of product, whereas, the gift of services cannot. If a Charitable Tax receipt is requested for gift of services, the donor must invoice the school for the value of the service; the school must then pay for those services which the donor then donates back to the school. If this process is followed, then a tax receipt may be issued.

Securities

Often a more tax effective way to make a major donation without the encroachment of liquid assets is via a gift of securities (i.e., stocks, bonds, mutual fund units and other securities), particularly those which have significantly increased in value since their acquisition. When making donations of appreciated property, it is best to give it directly to a charity rather than selling it first and giving the cash proceeds. When giving the actual security directly to the charity, Revenue Canada allows the taxable portion of the gain (or the inclusion rate) to be zeroed. The charitable tax credit amounts to approximately 45% of the donated value and can be used to reduce other tax liabilities. This type of gift can be easily transferred and processed by Covenant Christian School. We ask that you speak with a financial planner or your accountant to determine if this would be an effective way for you to donate.