“At a time of declining private school enrollment nationwide, Marquette has been able to show a 28 percent increase in enrollment in the past three years, and a 14 percent increase over last year,” says Mike Slaughter, Marquette principal.

Campaign pledges already exceed $1.175 million, which includes $854,000 from the diocese’s Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope campaign held in conjunction with the diocesan sesquicentennial in 2003.

Campaign co-chairman Steve Tassinari, who is retired from Xerox, is a Marquette grad, as was his mother. His wife was a classmate of his at Marquette, their two sons went to Marquette; both sons married Marquette grads.

“I believe in Catholic secondary school education,” says Tassinari. “But we don’t want this campaign to be thought of as a Catholic campaign. My co-chairman, Dale Neudecker, was president of the Alton school board for many years. He was one of the leading figures for getting the new Alton High School built. He believes in public education. But he loves Alton, and he is doing this for Marquette. He loves the area and the kids. We are one of the lucky communities to be able to offer opportunities to families here, and those that move into town.

“We do not view public school education and private school education as competing, but rather we are complementing. We have had families from Missouri send their kids to Marquette, and have had families move to town because they wanted to be close to Marquette. Marquette is one of the bright spots in terms of growth in downtown Alton. We are just 22 minutes from downtown St. Louis.”