April 2026, Chris Garavaglia, VP for Finance

Dear De La Salle Community,

After gathering for our Holy Week Liturgy, the campus grew quieter this Holy Week as we concluded our 40-day Lenten journey and entered the holiest days of the Triduum. We extend our heartfelt care and blessings to you and your family.

It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming our Class of 2029 to the De La Salle community, and yet, before we know it, we will be celebrating the graduation of our Class of 2026. Spring at De La Salle has a magic all its own, a beautiful whirlwind of hard work, milestones, and Brotherhood. From VENAVER Chicago and Kairos #161, to the Winton Arts Show and our production of Little Shop of Horrors, through our Founders Day Mass, Recognition and NHS Induction Ceremonies, Spring Concert, Auction, Volunteer Appreciation Event, AP Exams, and a full season of spring athletics and co-curricular activities, every day is full and alive, all building toward the excitement of our Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation. The energy and joy of this season are truly contagious, and each day I am reminded of how deeply blessed I am to call De La Salle home.

While much of my work takes place behind the scenes, focused on ensuring the financial stability and viability of De La Salle High School and safeguarding the resources that allow our mission to thrive, my eyes are always turned outward, attentive to the world around us and the future we are called to build together. Our financial condition remains strong, our 2025-26 and upcoming 2026-27 budgets are balanced, and we continue to honor the Christian Brothers' mission of making a DLS education as accessible as possible. With an operating budget of over $30 million, we are proud to extend upwards of $5 million in financial aid and tuition remission to more than one-third of our student body, all while investing in the people who make it all possible: our incredible faculty, staff, and coaches. Each day, they demonstrate an unwavering dedication to forming Men of Faith, Integrity, and Scholarship. I am deeply moved by the commitment, care, and investment these men and women pour into our students – ensuring they receive rich instructional programming, meaningful co-curricular opportunities, and the individualized support they need to thrive. They are a living testament to our Mission: where students are loved, instructed, and guided.

Our endowment continues to grow and is vital to securing our long-term future. Through the tireless dedication of our Advancement Office, Annual Giving has nearly tripled over the past four years – a remarkable achievement made possible by the generosity of our community. Your support not only strengthens our vibrant present but sustains our mission for generations to come.

De La Salle is secure and well-positioned for the future. As we advance our Strategic Plan and move into the next phases of our Campus Master Plan, I am filled with genuine hope – and coming from someone whose work is rooted in the financial security of our future, I do not say that lightly. The road ahead calls for hard work, but it is paved with the love, dedication, and joyful commitment of this extraordinary community we are all privileged and blessed to be a part of.

Live Jesus in our Hearts. Forever,

Chris Garavaglia
Vice President for Finance